


Everybody Loves Youngjae

by MayaTuan, NibetyJenkins



Category: GOT7
Genre: Comedy, Drama, M/M, Minor Character(s), Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2018-10-23 11:12:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 89,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10718250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayaTuan/pseuds/MayaTuan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NibetyJenkins/pseuds/NibetyJenkins
Summary: Everybody loves Youngjae. And Youngjae loves every person that gives their love to him. But what if it’s time for Youngjae to give his entire heart to just one person?





	1. Meet the characters

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't an actual chapter, just a brief introduction of the characters since it was too long to post as the summary.  
> You can also find this work on asianfanfics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody Loves Youngjae playlist:  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhhiKQliXIk&list=PLyqYJjXsX3L9KojXbq2nZhOj4fesSheca

Meet Choi Youngjae, your resident ball of fluff and sunshine. He’s the son every father dreams of and every mother’s desired son-in-law. Youngjae has killer charms that make everyone fall easily for him. He likes animals and helping people, and has a handsome yet cute face matching with his more than nice body. It’s not strange that a lot of people fall for him.

Park Jinyoung knows firsthand how it is to fall for Youngjae, and also knows how it feels to be loved back by him. Even though it only lasted for two years, they remained as best friends and no one has dared to steal that title away from him for a long time.

Jackson Wang has been Youngjae’s drinking buddy for almost four years now. Since Jinyoung doesn’t like to party that much, Youngjae always relies on Jackson to have a good time. It’s not difficult for Jackson to fall for Youngjae when there’s alcohol in between giving him the confidence he lacks when he’s sober.

Yoo Kihyun is Youngjae’s classmate. They’ve known each other since they started together their degree on music and composition. They have good teamwork and a lot of chemistry; making Kihyun fall for Youngjae almost effortlessly.

Im Jaebum is this bad boy any father doesn’t want his daughter to date. He has killer looks and an even more killer smile that also make it easy to fall for him. But Jaebum doesn’t like easy things; and Choi Youngjae is everything but _easy_ to him. He has also a super-secret soft spot for cute things.

Mark Tuan is your animal lover boy. He’s a vet and a helper at the local animal shelter. He doesn’t talk much, but he has a unique smile that makes your legs go weak at the sight. Mark has given up at the idea of love after his boyfriend for two years broke his heart. But maybe the cute customer with wrinkles around his eyes can make him change his opinion.

Add careless bicycle rider Lim Changkyun, sour on the outside but sweet on the inside Min Yoongi, Youngjae’s charming housemate Kim Yugyeom, king of muscles Shin Hoseok and angelic voice Lee Jaehwan to the mix and you have the perfect mess that  is Youngjae’s love life.


	2. Best Friend

Park Jinyoung taps his fingers against the table, waiting patiently for his best friend to arrive; even though his patience is starting to expire. They had agreed to meet about fifteen minutes ago at their usual place, but there’s no sign of Choi Youngjae yet.

Jinyoung met Youngjae when the latter started high school. Jinyoung was two years older than him, and his mother somehow knew Youngjae’s. Jinyoung’s mom asked his son to take care of the younger since it was his first year and as his mom described him _he was too innocent for this world_. Jinyoung didn’t mind; he’s genuinely kind so he agreed willingly.

He understood his mother’s words when he first saw him: Youngjae resembled more like a baby than a real boy, with his cute round face and even cuter mole under his right eye. He had brown fluffy hair and the biggest smile Jinyoung had even seen. Youngjae was naturally friendly, so it wasn’t difficult for them to become friends.

When Jinyoung was sixteen years old, he started having sexual identity issues. His classmates were throwing a party and Jinyoung decided it was time to make some friends as his only one was Youngjae. He gave in in the social pressure easily and drank more than he should, and he only sobered up when he had a tongue deep on his throat. He was making out with some random girl without knowing, but when he realized he didn’t back off. His curiosity took the best of him and he continued until the girl wanted more. Jinyoung refused because she was clearly wasted and he didn’t want to feel like he was taking advantage of her; so he asked where she lived and being the gentleman he is he walked her home and even gave her his number.

They started dating since then. At first, she told him that she wanted to invite him to coffee to thank him for taking care of her that night; but Jinyoung and his insecurity towards himself wanted to find out who he really was, so he asked her out. She fell for him easily, as Jinyoung always would talk and treat her gently. But whenever they kissed, Jinyoung always felt like something was missing. Even when they first had sex something was still off, and Jinyoung started to wonder if it was because he really didn’t love her or if he didn’t like woman at all.

Everything started to crumble when Youngjae’s body started to change. At first Youngjae was very glad that Jinyoung found himself a girlfriend; but then they started to hang out less and during the time they dated Jinyoung barely saw the younger. Tired of not being able to hang out with his best friend, Youngjae decided to appear at his house one day without warning. When Jinyoung opened the door his mouth fell wide open: the boy in front of him wasn’t the Youngjae he met two years ago; the boy in front of him still had a cute face but this time his face was no longer a kid’s but a boy’s one. Youngjae didn’t have a toned body but he wasn’t slim either; he was something in between and Jinyoung felt jealous. The Youngjae he found outside his door that day was a handsome young man, and it ignited something in Jinyoung’s heart that he was afraid of discover.

Since that day they resumed hanging out more, with Jinyoung having more and more personal issues. He sometimes caught himself staring at Youngjae’s lips, thinking how soft and beautiful they were compared to his girlfriend’s ones. He would steal glances at Youngjae’s thighs, and to him they seemed more tempting than his girlfriend’s.

Youngjae only grew more beautiful with each day, and when he turned sixteen years old Jinyoung finally had his mind clear: he wasn’t in love with his girlfriend because he was in love with Youngjae.

When he realized, he quickly met his girlfriend and broke up with her. When she asked why he only answered that he didn’t love her, but still told her sweet words to try to cheer her up. She begged him not to leave her, and even though seeing her cry was breaking Jinyoung’s heart he couldn’t give in to her pleas when his heart belonged to another person.

When Youngjae heard about the break up, he ran to his best friend’s house to console him. Jinyoung was a bit uneasy because he didn’t want to hurt her, and it did affect him even when he wasn’t in love with her. Youngjae hugged him and asked what happened, and Jinyoung answered that he realized he wasn’t in love with her, but didn’t mention that he loved another person; that he loved him. Youngjae didn’t ask anything else and just stayed like that, holding Jinyoung tight on his embrace.

Days after the break up, Jinyoung had an unfortunate encounter with his ex-girlfriend when he was having lunch with Youngjae. He noticed that she seemed tired and sad, so he got up from his seat and approached her to ask her nicely if she was okay. But the girl didn’t take well the gesture and pushed him away, yelling that she wasn’t okay and it was his entire fault. Jinyoung didn’t say anything; he only let her unburden herself and accepted every word directed to him.

Youngjae however quickly got sick from hearing all that bad words meant for his best friend. He knew how Jinyoung felt guilty about what happened but he also thought that Jinyoung didn’t deserve to be treated that way when he was only genuinely concerned about the girl’s well-being. He stood up and walked towards Jinyoung until he was standing beside his best friend.

“You don’t have the right to treat him like that” Youngjae declared then, a serious look on his face that Jinyoung had barely seen on him.

Jinyoung turned to mutter to him that he didn’t have to meddle on the issue since it didn’t have anything to do with him, which caused Youngjae to argue back how he couldn’t bear hearing someone talking lies about his best friend.

The close proximity between the two made the girl suspicious and after Jinyoung leaned even closer to Youngjae her eyes opened widely, shock written all over her face.

“How come I wasn’t able to see that before?” she asked while putting a smug smile, making Jinyoung and Youngjae end their argument to stare at her in disbelief.

“What are you talking about?” Jinyoung asked her.

“You are in love with him” she stated, making Jinyoung freeze on his spot. “That’s why you didn’t love me, because all this time you were freaking gay. How disgusting”.

Jinyoung ducked his head in shame. Around them a small crowd was congregated and he could feel each one of their gazes on him. He looked discretely at them, seeing looks of disbelief, mocking ones and doubtful ones, as if they understood him but were too afraid to intervene on his favor. After catching a deep breath, he turned to look at the face he feared the most: Youngjae’s.

But when he stared at him the younger wasn’t staring back; he was glaring at the girl, and Jinyoung wondered if he really felt that disgusted by him already.

“And what if it’s true?” Youngjae suddenly asked, making Jinyoung flinch on his spot. “I’m not disgusted by it, no one should. No one should make fun of the other based on the person they chose to love. Love is still love, between man and woman, man and man or woman and woman. And I’d be more than honored if Jinyoung was in love with me. He’s a truly gentleman and he clearly doesn’t deserve a disgusting bitch like you that hates on homosexual people without realizing that they are just common people like all of us. So back the fuck off and leave us alone”.

There were some chants of approval, clapping and even someone shouting ‘yeah boy you’re the fucking master’; but Jinyoung didn’t really care. Not when his best friend had just not only said that he would be flattered if Jinyoung loved him but also put that girl on her place. Jinyoung smiled proudly at his best friend’s courage, for being the only one who stood out for him. Youngjae smiled widely in return; but the girl wasn’t done yet.

“You don’t understand” the girl continued, visibly mad, “he has been close to you. I’m sure he has eye-fucked you more than once and even jerked off to you. Maybe he even touched you on your sleep. Doesn’t it disgust you, really?”

Jinyoung blushed. He had never touched Youngjae, except that times when Youngjae asked for hugs or cuddling. He admired his body more than once, that was true; but he wouldn’t consider it as eye-fucking. And well, he was a teenager with his needs and the image of Youngjae playing on the beach half naked didn’t help at all.

While Jinyoung was busy thinking about all those things, Youngjae frowned and glared a bit at her before rolling his eyes. He turned to his side and took the unsuspecting Jinyoung’s face in his hands, caressing his cheek a little before pressing his lips against Jinyoung’s.

That kiss was the one Jinyoung truly felt. Nothing was missing that time; and even though Jinyoung was sure Youngjae was only doing it to shut her up he enjoyed every moment it lasted.

Youngjae broke it after a few seconds, turning to look at the girl again while intertwining his hand with Jinyoung’s.

“As I said” Youngjae said seriously again, making the girl clench his teeth, “I’m not disgusted by him. And if it’s true that he actually loves me then I’d be more than glad to be his boyfriend because I love him too”.

The girl’s mouth fell wide open while Jinyoung stared at him in shock, quite not believing Youngjae’s words. The younger turned to him again and smiled.

“So, Jinyoung” he said, making Jinyoung’s heart beat faster in anticipation, “do you really love me?”

Jinyoung looked around him, seeing the awaiting faces of the crowd and the furious one of his ex-girlfriend before making his decision.

“Yes, Youngjae. I love you” he answered.

Youngjae smiled tenderly and placed his free hand on Jinyoung’s cheek again, caressing it.

“Then believe me when I say that I love you too and accept being my boyfriend”.

Jinyoung just nodded enthusiastically while grinning widely, with wrinkles forming at the corners of his closed eyes. He heard clapping and shouts of encouragement around him; but he couldn’t care less when Youngjae was pulling him onto his embrace, his body irradiating a comfortable warm that filled Jinyoung’s heart in the most pleasurable way.

No need to say that the girl never dared to approach them again or molest them.

The years they spent together will always be a treasurable memory for Jinyoung. They would go on a lot of dates thanks to Youngjae’s outgoing personality. Other times they would stay home where Jinyoung was more comfortable, and both of them would fall asleep next to each other. They would hug and kiss a lot. They would even have their first experiences with same-gender sex and they would make a mess at the beginning, then laugh at it and take note not to repeat the same mistakes again until they learned how to do it properly. They would be happy together for 2 years; when they realized that their love was more of friends rather than lovers and that both of them were just curious about the transformations they were experiencing and preferred to face the change with each other instead of doing it alone.

But both of them wouldn’t let go of the other. Youngjae couldn’t live without Jinyoung and Jinyoung without Youngjae; after all, his bond was very deep thanks to all that they had to endure together. They even came out to both their parents, and even when at first it shocked them they understood and gave their approval. When they broke up but decided to stay friends, their parents told them they were glad because their friendship really was enviable.

They were there for each other during the following years. They started university and met other people but their bond only got stronger. They would spent together all the time they could; and even thought that romantic love they thought they had would never come back, they knew their friendship would last forever.

That is, only if Youngjae arrives in the next five minutes or Jinyoung is going to have to put an end to that friendship.

(Kidding. Jinyoung wouldn’t throw their friendship away just for Youngjae arriving late, something that wasn’t that unusual either. But he would sulk and ignore the other for a while until Youngjae had to show his best aegyo and beg for forgiveness and then Jinyoung would give in because no one can resist Youngjae’s aegyo).

The thing is Youngjae has been away all summer due to a scholarship the university gave him and his partner Yoo Kihyun for their excellent performance during the last semester. They got to travel to Japan to meet some well-known composers and music agencies and to take part on a camp for kids with musical aspirations as assistants. They had messaged each other a lot and almost every night Youngjae would skype him when he had a rest. But Jinyoung had to put up with Jackson Wang’s company since he’s the only other friend he has; and well, let’s just say that if Jinyoung wasn’t missing Youngjae badly after meeting the Chinese man he was without any doubt.

It’s not that Jinyoung hates Jackson. He’s really fond of him; the boy is an actual gem that treasures his friends as if his live depended on it. He cares for all his friends (even though Jinyoung knows more than anyone that Jackson cares the most about Youngjae) and has an easy going personality that makes any person like him almost instantly.

It’s just if Jackson could be less louder and let Jinyoung read in peace when he asks him to instead of making a ruckus over it for half an hour until Jinyoung sighs and closes his book to kick him out from his house, it would be really great.

He hears the door being open and Jinyoung sighs in relief for the sake of their friendship. Youngjae has just arrived and is searching for him, so Jinyoung quickly raises his arm to make the younger notice his position. Youngjae does and then smiles at him, walking towards his direction.

“Finally” Jinyoung says while feigning annoyance.

“I’m sorry Jinyoung” Youngjae apologizes with a bow, “I lost the bus and I had to wait like 20 minutes for the next to arrive, so I decided to ran here so I wouldn’t make you wait for me longer”.

Jinyoung can’t help the smile that crosses his face upon hearing those words. Jinyoung really can’t stay mad at the younger when he has just told him that he ran all the way up to the café so he wouldn’t have to wait for him longer.

“It’s okay” Jinyoung reassures him, “now go get your drink and then we can talk”.

Youngjae nods and goes to the counter to order something to drink. Jinyoung stares at him as he waits for his beverage to be prepared. The younger barely had time to take off his jacket before Jinyoung was commanding him to get a drink and has still his blue beanie on, covering all his hair. It’s still early September but the weather is getting cold already, and Youngjae likes to be warm. Jinyoung doesn’t mind; he has a clearer view of Youngjae’s handsome face. He may not be in love with the younger anymore but he’s not going to hide that he thinks that Youngjae is amazingly gorgeous. He knows how to appreciate art, okay?

Youngjae comes back three minutes after with a green drink in a mug, placing it on the table before sitting down. Jinyoung raises an eyebrow at the curious choice of the younger.

“Green tea?”

“Green ORGANIC tea” Youngjae says, putting more emphasis on the word ‘organic’.

“Seriously, every time you resemble more to Jackson”.

“I don’t think that’s something bad tho”.

Jinyoung wants to argue about that; but he knows it’s useless since Youngjae will always have more nice words for Jackson than Jinyoung has bad ones about him. Jinyoung knows about Youngjae’s feelings towards Jackson as well as Jackson’s feelings for Youngjae. Jinyoung had tried encouraging Youngjae to ask Jackson out but he will always refuse saying that Jackson deserves better; but the worst part of it it’s that when he confronts Jackson about the same issue he would always say that Youngjae deserves better and then he really wants to strangle his two friends because they are fucking blind to see each other’s feelings.

But that’s not the only reason while Jinyoung opens his mouth to whine but no words exit from it. Youngjae has just taken off his beanie and his hair has fallen to his face. His now strawberry blonde hair. Jinyoung wants to ask why, how and when but nothing comes out. Youngjae runs his hand through his hair, and Jinyoung swears he hasn’t seen anything more angelic than the sight in front of him. Youngjae is really an angel sent from above to bless the entire human race with his existence.

“Youngjae, your hair…” is the only thing that escapes Jinyoung’s lips.

Youngjae smiles sheepishly and _wait!_ Is Youngjae blushing?

“Oh, yes…This was just a drunken craziness of mine haha” Youngjae answers while laughing timidly.

“Drunken craziness? Why didn’t you inform me about this? Is this the reason why you refused to skype with me the last days of your trip?”

“Yes. I was…embarrassed okay? I didn’t know if you were going to like it”.

“Of course I like it, Youngjae. It really suits you. But what if I didn’t like it? It’s your hair; it has to be pleasant to you, not me”.

Youngjae gives him a smile before searching through his pockets for his phone.

“I know but…you know your opinion always counts to me. But here, look!” Youngjae exclaims while passing the phone over to Jinyoung. “Kihyun dyed it with me. Look how good he looks with his pink hair”.

Jinyoung stares at the screen. There is a picture of Youngjae with his arm wrapped around Kihyun, who now has pink hair and is smiling to the camera mirroring Youngjae.

“He really does look good with pink…”he starts to say, until his eyes focus on a strange mark on Youngjae’s neck. He zooms on the spot and lets out a squeal upon realizing what it is. “Choi Youngjae. I think dying your hair wasn’t the only drunken craziness you did in Japan”.

Youngjae opens widely his eyes at that, quickly reaching to take back his phone but Jinyoung raises his arm so the younger can’t snatch it from him.

“It’s that a hickey?” Jinyoung asks, even when he has checked that it effectively is.

“Give it back!” Youngjae complains, still trying to get his phone back.

Jinyoung lowers his arm and takes a last glance to the pic before passing the phone back to his owner, who quickly closes all the applications and puts it back in his pocket.

When he looks at Jinyoung he sees the latter still grinning wickedly at him. Youngjae blushes, mentally scolding himself for not looking at the photo before showing Jinyoung.

“I think you have some explanation to do” Jinyoung says, giggling a bit.

Youngjae sighs. He originally wanted to meet Jinyoung not only to see him in person but also to tell him what happened with the hickey. But he wasn’t expecting the issue to come out that way.

“Okay, I’ll tell you” Youngjae says, but before he can continue he’s cut by Jinyoung.

“Wait. Is it Kihyun’s?”

Youngjae blushes even more at that, and the slight quiver of his mouth signals to Jinyoung that he’s right about his assumption.

“OMG. Finally you two hooked up?”

Jinyoung knows about Jackson’s crush on Youngjae and Youngjae’s crush on Jackson; but he also knows about Youngjae’s crush on Kihyun. Since the younger met Kihyun he wouldn’t stop talking about how cool he is, how much he wants Jinyoung and Kihyun to meet, how great Kihyun is at everything he does; until one day Jinyoung joked about Youngjae liking Kihyun way too much to only be his classmate but Youngjae didn’t laugh. This scared Jinyoung, who flinched when Youngjae asked if it was wrong for him to like two persons at the same time. Jinyoung took him in his embrace and told him that it’s more common than he thought it was, and that he shouldn’t be afraid of his feelings. Jinyoung is aware that Youngjae is a being full of love, ready to give it to anybody that returns it to him. He tells Youngjae that it’s going to be difficult though, but Jinyoung will be always by his side no matter what, so he shouldn’t worry.

He’s not as close to Kihyun as he is to Jackson. He has met the other a few times and has made sure that Kihyun is a nice guy and that he takes good care of Youngjae; and also that he’s really as awesome as Youngjae tells him almost every day. And Kihyun doesn’t need to say it to Jinyoung for the latter to realize that Kihyun also likes Youngjae too much to only be his classmate. And again he would encourage Youngjae to ask Kihyun out only to have him saying that Kihyun deserves better; and even thought this time he can’t confirm Kihyun’s feelings for Youngjae he still wants to strangle both of them because Kihyun is not particularly subtle with his crush, but in the three years that they have been together he hasn’t asked Youngjae out either.

“We didn’t hook up…” Youngjae says in a low tone, not wanting the strangers surrounding him to hear what he’s about to say. “But the managers threw a farewell party for us and we got a bit carried away since we were leaving in a few days so we drank more than we should. Then I asked him if he wanted to do some random craziness like dying our hair and he nodded. And we were dancing so close, like his body was touching mine and he was hot and suddenly I had my mouth latched on his neck and he was moaning and it sounded really good so I kept going until I left a pretty nice hickey on his neck. Then he said something like he wanted to return the favor and he bit my neck and then sucked on it and it felt so good, Jinyoung. When he finished I needed more so I pushed his head against mine and I kissed him”.

“What the fuck Youngjae!” Jinyoung shouts, earning a few glares from other customers.

“Shh, chill Jinyoung. We were just kissing”.

“You can’t just go grabbing other’s heads and force them to kiss you”.

“I didn’t force him. I did it gently, and he responded to the kiss, okay? It was consensual. The thing is, we went back to our shared room and he pushed me against the bed and we started to make out but at some point both of us fell asleep. When we wake up the next morning we remembered everything that happened but laughed it off as if it was some random shit we did when we were drunk and then went to dye our hair. The rest of the trip went well; we weren’t awkward with each other or anything like that. But since yesterday when our plane landed I haven’t heard of him and I’m worried I screwed up and lost my chance with him”.

“Youngjae” Jinyoung mutters gently, reaching out to caress Youngjae’s hand with his own, seeing how agitated the latter is about the issue. “First of all, why didn’t you call me right after this happened? You could have talked to me instead of keeping it to yourself”.

“I thought you would be mad at me”.

“Why would I, Youngjae? Haven’t I told you more than once to ask Kihyun out? It’s you who refuses all the time. But anyways, if he gave you a hickey, responded to your kiss and was ready to go all the way with you, don’t you think he has to have some feelings for you? And don’t tell me you were both drunk because if you remembered you weren’t _that_ drunk; you knew what you were doing. I don’t think you’ve screwed it. But maybe he needs some space and time to digest all that happened? He couldn’t do it before with you constantly by his side, so leave him alone some days to sort out his feelings and then-“

“Oh look, he has just sent me a text” Youngjae says nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t just cut Jinyoung when he was speaking. “It says _I hope you’re having a nice day_ and a cute emoji smiling. Isn’t he the cutest?”

Jinyoung pinches the brick of his nose and breathes deeply, collecting all his patience before he strangles his best friend right there right now with his own hands.

“Yes, Youngjae, he is” Jinyoung says in an annoyed tone, making Youngjae flinch and leave the phone above the table.

“Sorry”.

“Don’t you dare interrupting me again or I’m going to freaking kill you. As I was saying… well, screw that. If he has just sent you that cheesy message he’s definitely after you. You should just ask him out”.

“What about Jackson?”

That was the difficult question Jinyoung was trying hard not to think of. What if Kihyun and Youngjae started dating? What would happen with Jackson? He would be hurt, but he knows Youngjae wouldn’t be able to be happy with Kihyun if he knows he’s hurting Jackson. But on the other side, he can’t just deny his own happiness only because another person is in love with him. But he’s also in love with that person; and Jinyoung swears he hasn’t read any more complicated novel than Youngjae’s memories.

“What do you want, Youngjae?” Jinyoung asks, not sure if this is going to help his best friend or is going to confuse him more; but it’s the only thing Jinyoung can think of.

“That’s the problem, Jinyoung. I don’t know what I want. I want Kihyun but I also want Jackson, but I can’t have the two of them” Youngjae puts his shoulders on the table and hides his face between his hands. “It was better before when I wasn’t drunk and kissed any of them”.

“You can’t just undo it, Youngjae. You have to assume the consequences and make a decision”.

“What do you want me to do, Jinyoung?” Youngjae asks, staring again at him. “Do you want me to date Jackson or Kihyun?”

“I want you to do whatever you want to, Youngjae. It’s not my place to decide who you should date, because you’re the one who has feelings for them. And I also don’t know, Youngjae. I like both of them too. They are nice to you and make you laugh and smile, and that’s everything I expect from a person that wants to date you”.

“Why is everything so complicated?” Youngjae says after a long sigh.

“C’mon, don’t say that. Why don’t you just go with the flow? Just let things happen. Maybe after a time you realize that you want one of them more than the other”.

“You’re right” Youngjae says. “I think I’m going to just let everything flow and maybe I would get all the answers in the way. Thanks, Jinyoung. You always know what to say to help me”.

“Well, I’m not your best friend for anything, am I? Now let’s talk about your birthday. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. But I want something different for this year. A party, maybe? We always hang out that day but never do anything”.

“You know I don’t like parties but if that’s what you want, you’ll have a party”.

Youngjae claps his hands and throws himself onto Jinyoung, almost knocking both their mugs off. Jinyoung scolds him but catches him nevertheless, returning the hug.

“Thank you, Jinyoung. You’re the best”.

Jinyoung can’t help but smile because well, he really is the best.

 

As they part ways since Youngjae wanted to meet Jackson, who kept begging him to visit after leaving him alone all the summer, Jinyoung thinks about Youngjae’s complicated love life and is almost glad that his own is non-existent.

If either Jackson or Kihyun is about to confess to Youngjae, he will suffer upon having to make a decision. And Jinyoung would be there to catch him; but he wishes there would be someone else to give Youngjae some sort of extra support.

Jinyoung smiles when a memory of Youngjae complaining about wanting a pet but never getting one because he shares his own house with another person crosses his mind.

Maybe it’s time for Jinyoung to get Youngjae a puppy and his annoying housemate Kim Yugyeom will have to deal with it or Jinyoung will make him.

Youngjae deserves happiness because he brings so much happiness to everyone’s life, and Jinyoung is going to do anything to give his best friend everything he deserves.


	3. Drinking Buddy

Jackson is playing games on his phone, waiting for Youngjae to arrive. He missed him so much last summer; even when they texted each other every day, not seeing him or hugging him was painful. Jackson missed the handsome face of Youngjae, the angelical smile of his, the cute mole under his right eye and everything about him. Only thinking about him makes his heart beat faster.  

 

Jackson has always been an easygoing person. He’s friendly with anyone he thinks he deserves it but if someone dares to hurt his friends he can make the other regret it in seconds. Even when he gets constantly invited to any party and knows a lot of people, he only considers true friends three people: his childhood friend Lee Jooheon, Park Jinyoung and Choi Youngjae. One of them being also his first man crush.

Jackson met Youngjae 3 years ago at the welcoming party of the university. Jackson was in the bar drinking some beer when he saw a handsome face appearing and asking for a beer. _Am I so drunk or is he an angel?_ Jackson stared too much at the boy so the later tapped on Jackson's shoulder.  

"Hey, are you okay?" The boy's voice made Jackson look away from him and his cheeks turned all red.

"S-sorry, I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm the wild and sexy Jackson Wang. It’s really nice to meet you."

"You're funny; I'm Choi Youngjae, nice to meet you too." A big smile was plastered in Youngjae's face and Jackson couldn't think about anything else but how Youngjae smiling is like the sunshine.

 

Since then, Jackson and Youngjae started to hang out a lot. Day by day Jackson was falling more in love with Youngjae; the boy was a ball of pure love and joy, the perfection in Jackson's eyes.

In countless times Jinyoung, Youngjae's best friend, told him to confess.

"Jackson, I’ve told you this a lot of times: if you really love Youngjae, ask him out. You are so obvious when he is around, and I'm sure he would gladly say yes. I know him well enough to tell when he is in love with someone, and the way he looks at you screams pure love".

Jackson had noticed Youngjae sometimes also staring at him lovingly. But Youngjae is always kind to anybody, so why would Jackson be different for him? Youngjae is a person full of love with a heart that doesn’t fit into his body. Youngjae can easily have whoever he wants; so why has he to conform with Jackson when he can have anything?

So every time Jinyoung asked him why he didn’t date Youngjae, he gave him the same answer.

"I really love him, who doesn’t? He's the definition of perfection, he cares so much about his friends and he is the best support when you are having a hard time. But because of that, I think he deserves someone better than me”.

Jinyoung face-palmed himself in his mind and sighed. _I'm going to kill them. How can they be so blind_?

"I don't know what to do with you two, really" Jinyoung sat up and went to where Youngjae was sitting. Jackson admired the way the sunlight made Youngjae's figure so angelical, just as he is.

Then Youngjae turned to his side and smiled to him; wide and gently. And Jackson knew that he wouldn’t ever be able to let that person go out from his life; he’s whipped forever for that angel in human form.  

 

His love for Youngjae only increased when they went to parties. Jackson and Youngjae always got a bit drunk; but in a special occasion, Youngjae and Jackson drank far too much. The two of them started to dance too close to the other, almost touching; Jackson's ass was almost glued to Youngjae’s crotch, with the latter placing small kisses on Jackson's neck and biting a little. The more they danced, the more they were turned on. Jackson turned to look at Youngjae and kissed him, the taste of alcohol present in both mouths.

The next morning, Jackson was in his bed and Youngjae was in Jackson's sofa. Both of them didn't remember all the things that happened; but seeing the hickeys that they had in their necks something clicked in their minds, but the hangover was more intense and blinded their minds.

"Jacks, what happened last night? We drunk a lot and the hangover is killing my head"

"Same here, but... The hickeys you have in your neck..."

"Whaaat!! I don't remember being with someone besides you. Oh, I think I have an idea of what happened" Youngjae's cheeks were turning red as the memories come back to his mind.

“Don't tell me that what I'm thinking is true” Jackson muttered, checking that he still had his clothes on.

“Jacks, we didn't do what you are thinking; we just hooked up last night. But why? I don't remember” Jackson's mouth was wide open as memories of him kissing Youngjae deeply between the wall and the latter’s body came with more pain.

“Youngjae, next time remind me not to drink like last night”

“You too in case I don’t remember. This hangover is killing me, have you any painkillers?”

“No, I finished them with the last party, sorry. Don’t you have at your room?”

“Yes, I think. I should be going, see you later” Youngjae smiled before going out from the room.

As Youngjae closed the door Jackson plopped down on the couch. He covered his face with his hands, still not believing that he allowed the alcohol to take possession of his body and almost making him take possession over Youngjae’s one.

The worst part was that Jackson could still feel everything; every touch, every kiss on his neck, the warmth of Youngjae’s body pressed against him and his taste on his lips. His body started to get warmer as memories of Youngjae taking his wrists and pinning him against the wall to kiss him roughly flashed vividly on his mind.

He had had a little piece of heaven, and he thought that maybe he still had a chance to have that angel for himself only. Maybe Youngjae felt the same about him. Jackson selfishly prayed that the younger did.

 

Little did he know, that his angel was still outside pressed against the door, also not believing what happened the previous night. He was breathing heavily, remembering every touch Jackson gave him. He remembered Jackson caressing his back as he pinned the other against the wall; Jackson’s hands roaming every inch of skin until he reached the hem of his trousers. He remembers growling when Jackson dared to shove his hand inside them. Youngjae’s heart started to beat faster at the memory of himself pressing his body more against Jackson’s, placing kisses from his lips to his jaw and then lower, until he reached the spot between his neck and his collarbone and then he sucked there hard until he left a pretty nice hickey.

He blushed, wondering when he had turned like that. He knew he liked to play in bed; but he was very reserved until he felt comfortable enough to get that intimate. He wasn’t one to have one-night stands because he knew he could grow attached to them and having two guys already in his heart was too much.

Maybe it was because it was Jackson, and he always felt comfortable with him. But he couldn’t have that happening again. His feelings could get exposed and he wasn’t ready to just give his heart to Jackson when Kihyun was also there.

_From now on I’m controlling what I’m drinking._

 

Jooheon, Jackson’s best friend since childhood, also tried encouraging him to confess to Youngjae; even more after knowing what happened between them that night.

“Dude, you have to tell him” Jooheon said seriously.

“But what if he doesn’t feel the same?” Jackson asked. “I’m sure that if he loves me then he would have told me by now”.

“But Jacks, he was ready to fuck you”.

“Don’t talk about him like that”.

“You have to understand that your angel is not as innocent as he looks” Jooheon said after noticing the deathly glare his friend was throwing to him. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. It was you who said that he seemed like a beast pushing you against the wall and kissing you as if there wasn’t any tomorrow. You even said that he growled”.

“I know, but he’s still an angel. He can be…wild, sometimes. But his heart is pure”.

“If he’s wild and you’re wild, then why aren’t you wild together?”

“We almost were”.

“No, not like that” Jooheon said before sighing. “I mean, why is it so difficult for you to confess? You said you were the first to approach him, to touch him. You were the first to kiss him but he corresponded, even went wilder than you. Maybe he needs a little push from your side to give in. Maybe he needs you to say ‘I love you’ first before saying it himself”.

“Or maybe he behaved like that because he was drunk” Jackson said, making Jooheon frown. “And he needed release. He doesn’t do random hook ups so maybe he needed some action”.

It was silent for a while until Jooheon spoke again.

“Have you ever asked him why doesn’t he do random hook ups?”

Jackson shook his head.

“As I said, his heart is too pure. It wouldn’t be just sex for him”.

“But there’s the chance he could hook up with a stranger and then both of them fall in love. And Youngjae is a smart kid, I’m sure he has thought about it”.

Jackson grimaced at the idea of Youngjae having sex with another boy. He couldn’t let that happen; especially not with a certain someone Jackson already knew was lusting after his precious angel.

“I think he doesn’t do random hook ups because he already has someone he wants” Jooheon answered for him. “You’ve just said that it wouldn’t only be sex to him. But he was ready to do it with you. Then why wouldn’t it be different?”

“I don’t understand you” Jackson said, not catching where Jooheon was going with all that.

“The thing is it wouldn’t be just sex for him if he’d do it with you” Jooheon said. “And if it wouldn’t be only sex but he wanted to go all the way with you is because there are feelings involved. Feelings for you. He didn’t want to just fuck you; he wanted to make love to you”.

Jackson and he stared at each other for a while, until Jackson took Jooheon’s bottle from his hand and examined the tag.

“Dude,” Jackson said, “what kind of drugs are you taking?”

Jooheon grumbled and snatched the beer from Jackson’s hand, taking a sip from it.

“I don’t take any drugs” Jooheon answered a bit annoyed. “Have you understood what I was saying?”

“You were just assuming that Youngjae loves me. And something about sex”.

“Sex with Youngjae”.

“That would be amazing”.

Jooheon face palmed himself, throwing a french fry to his friend.

“Why aren’t you being serious about this?” Jooheon asked, truly bothered. “I’m trying to make a point here”.

“There isn’t any point to make” Jackson said, picking the french fry from the floor. “Youngjae doesn’t love me. At least like I do. It was just some random shit that happened because we drank too much. I shouldn’t be making a fuss over it”.

Jackson stared at the floor, feeling sad about it. Jooheon noticed and threw another french fry to him, gaining his attention again.

“You’re the one overthinking everything, not me” Jooheon said. “I was just trying to help. But if by any chance I discover that Choi Youngjae is in love with you you’re going to confess. No excuses allowed”.

“As if it was ever going to happen” Jackson said with a sigh.

“Wanna bet?”

Jackson stared at him, intrigued about it. What if it was true after all? He could get Youngjae as his boyfriend. But if Jooheon would lose, then Jackson had the right to request anything he wanted from him.

“Okay” Jackson said finally. “But if in the end Youngjae doesn’t love me then you have to treat me to meat. The most expensive one”.

“Fine. But if you lose then you’re treating me, okay?”

Jackson smirked at him. Jooheon placed his drink on the table and clasped his hands together.

“Well, my friend” Jooheon muttered. “We’ll see if you win Youngjae or the meat”.

And for the first time on his entire life, Jackson actually wants to lose the meat.

 

Jackson is still thinking about Youngjae when he hears a knock at his door. He sits up and goes to open it. A radiant Youngjae is in front of him, with his arms wide open to hug him. Jackson hugs him back and they stay like that for a few minutes.

“Youngjae!! I missed you so much!!”

“Me too Jacks, how was your summer?”

They break the hug and sit on Jackson’s sofa.

“Boring without you; but it was fine. I hanged out with Jinyoung some days. How about yours?”

“It was spectacular. I met some well-known Japanese composers and with the kids it was so beautiful; how they loved any form of music and their eyes shined so brightly when we played music with them. Awesome.” Youngjae’s eyes are shining while talking about the kids, because he wants to cure kids with illness with therapeutic music, and working with kids is something he loves so much.

“And Youngjae… Your hair….” Jackson didn’t notice it before, but when they are seated some strands of strawberry blonde hair fall and, of course, Jackson is eager to notice anything related to Youngjae.

“Ah! It was a drunken craziness of me of me and Kihyun” the latter laughs and Jackson can’t think with that glorious music invading his ears and head.

But Kihyun’s name stirs something inside of him. Yoo Kihyun, the boy he has always seen as his rival for Youngjae’s heart. They haven’t hanged out together much; but enough for Jackson to notice that Kihyun has further intentions with his angel.  But Jackson always thought that he had more points since Youngjae hooked up with him; even if both of them were drunk.

He was a bit mad that Kihyun got to spend all the summer besides Youngjae when he couldn’t. He also wants to ask if anything happened between them; but Jackson is sure he’s still first in Youngjae’s heart. Besides, Youngjae spent all the time with the kids, skyping Jinyoung or texting him. It’s impossible that they could have hooked up.

Jackson displaces that thoughts from his head and focuses on the beauty in front of him. Youngjae was angelic before (even when Jackson teased him saying that he resembled an otter; that made Youngjae laugh and do cute poses trying to look like one and Jackson’s heart melted at the sight, so he continued calling him that); but that hair, that bright and soft hair suits him so perfectly that Jackson thinks he could actually get blind from looking at it.

Youngjae is indeed a beautiful angel-slash-cute otter.

“It suits you so much, you are even cuter than before” Youngjae blushes and hits Jackson's arm playfully, ending with the two of them laughing so hard that they are out of breath.

“Sorry, I didn't ask before, but do you want something to eat or drink? Organic of course” Youngjae lets scape a muffle laugh remembering the conversation with Jinyoung. _Jinyoung was right; I’m like him, but I like it this way,_ he thinks while blushing a bit. Jackson notices it and starts staring at him, mesmerized with his hilarious face.

“I had a drink with Jinyoung before, but something to eat would be perfect” his stomach growls, embarrassing him and making Jackson explode in laughter.

Times like these are what makes Jackson fall in love deeper with Youngjae, when they are so comfortable and can relax from everything that troubles them. Youngjae likes these times especially because he forgets a little about what he feels towards Kihyun and enjoys every moment he is with Jackson.

Jackson goes to the kitchen and takes some sweets, knowing that Youngjae loves sweet food. He returns and finds a half-asleep Youngjae on the sofa, with his mouth wide open. Jackson thinks of a way to wake him up. Then, he goes to the kitchen again and grabs a cup of water. When he returns to the living room, he makes sure Youngjae is still sleeping and, of course, he is. Jackson pours the water onto Youngjae’s head (he isn’t wearing a hoodie inside Jackson’s room, he has taken it off before sitting in the sofa) and he wakes up immediately. Jackson falls on the floor laughing hard. Then, Youngjae realizes that he has fallen asleep when he sat on the sofa and Jackson planned waking him up like that. He goes where Jackson is laughing and kicks him playfully at his lower region. Jackson stops laughing and looks at Youngjae, who has a smirk in his lips and an evil hint in the eyes.

“That is for waking me like that, so don’t complain if it hurts” he says, half angry half laughing.

“Please, remind me not to wake you like that again. That kick hurt!” they laugh out loud until they are out of breath for the second time.

“Jacks, the food please, I’m really hungry” Youngjae says as his stomach growls another time.

“Coming~~” He goes to the kitchen and returns with the food Youngjae wants. Then they resume talking more about Youngjae’s trip for a while.

Jackson grimaces every time Youngjae says Kihyun’s name, but fortunately the other doesn’t notice, too focused on relating his adventures. Jackson feels really jealous when Youngjae mentions that he and Kihyun shared a room. But again, the list of things Youngjae did in Japan is huge and he couldn’t possibly had time to be seduced by the other.

They don’t notice the sunset and the moon shining in the sky. They only notice it when Youngjae is searching for photos to show to Jackson (he remembers the incident with Jinyoung earlier and makes sure that he has taken the necessary precautions).

“Youngjae, you know how late it’s now?” Youngjae tilts his head, making him look so cute. Inner Jackson is fanboying at that action. “You should stay here tonight, don’t you think?”

“I think I should, my apartment is far from here and it’s so dark outside. I can sleep in here” he pats the sofa.

“Never, you are going to sleep with me, I missed you so much in the summer, you owe me that at least” Youngjae sighs, but actually he is so happy because he can sleep with Jackson, and sober this time.

“Okay, I stay here this night, but don’t get used to it every time I’ll drop at your room” they laugh and this time Jackson punches Youngjae’s arm. “By the way, can I borrow you a pajama?”

“No, you have to sleep with only your underwear on” Youngjae chokes on his food and Jackson laughs like a hyena. “I’m kidding; of course I’ll lend you a pajama. You can change in my room. I’ll stay here, without looking” he winks at Youngjae and he makes a vomit gesture at the comment.

But of course Jackson looks; he always looks. He just pretends after as if he was busy doing any other thing and Youngjae has never caught him. But Jinyoung did once; he didn’t say anything, just put a disgusted face and whispered _creepy_ to him before disappearing.

When they are in the bedroom, Youngjae takes the side of the bed that he prefers (obviously Jackson let him decide first) and lays down, making the bed comfortable for him. Jackson lies after and covers them with a thin blanket. They turn to see each other’s eyes.

“Seriously, I missed you so much, Youngjae”. He caresses Youngjae’s cheek with his palm. The other relaxes at the touch; he missed the warmth of the boy in front of him, even when he had Kihyun’s.

“I missed you too, Jackson” he hugs Jackson tightly, smelling his essence.

_I love this and I love you_.

With that thought in their heads and hugging each other they get to sleep like they never ever did before.


	4. Animal Lover Boy

As Mark does his regular check up on the animals at the shelter, he can’t help but think how nice it has to be being an animal. You have to worry only about getting aliment; you don’t need those unnecessary human feelings like love to be happy.

Mark loves animals. In his opinion, they are wonderful, amazing creatures created by God to make the world a more pleasant place to live. Since kid he has always had a pet, without really minding if it was a rabbit, a fish, a cat or a dog. He loved every animal his parents brought home for him.

What Mark doesn’t love are humans. Of course, he loves his family. And he would love his friends, if he had any. The only other person he has in this world aside from his family is his ex-boyfriend, now turned into his best friend as the latter decided to end their relationship.

Mark met his ex when he was studying veterinary. Mark has always been an introverted person; he talks only when he needs to and he used to shun from other people. That is until this boy noticed him and started to talk to him.

At first Mark ignored him. He even doubted the other was speaking to him; but sometimes he would call his name and he’d realize the other was actually talking to him. It went like that for some weeks until Mark got tired and asked the other why he was doing it.

The response he got left him shocked. The boy smiled at him and said that he wanted to meet him because he seemed interesting and cute. Mark blushed furiously and ran away to hide himself under the bed.

Mark avoided him for a few days until he decided to give the boy a chance. He knew that animals’ company not always could cover all the empty spaces on his heart; places destined to be occupied by a special person. Even thought at the beginning Mark wasn’t expecting this boy to be that person, he couldn’t avoid falling for him; much less when the more Mark tried to ignore him the more the other looked after him.

Mark and the boy started dating short after. Mark discovered a lot of things about himself during that time. For example, he likes cuddling a lot; when he pouts he resembles a puppy and he also likes being bitten on the neck. That boy was all his firsts: first kiss, first love, first time… he brought so much happiness to Mark’s life.

But he also brought sadness. Sometimes he wouldn’t have time to meet Mark and the latter would feel lonely again. At some point Mark started to feel like they were drifting apart. The passion they felt at the beginning started to fade and Mark didn’t know what to do to prevent them from falling. He trusted the other would know.

And the boy knew. He knew better than Mark what was happening so he put an end to it. He put an end to their relationship.

Mark would yell at him; would not only throw tantrums but also actual objects to him and call him a liar for telling him that he loved him when he didn’t. The other tried to make him reason, to make him understand that it would be worse for them to continue when he no longer loved the other, at least in a romantic way.

The last thing Mark threw was the boy out from his life without realizing that now he was alone again. He was living by himself now that he had his degree and a stable job. He couldn’t just go back to his parents’ house in shame. He had to survive, to keep going on. Even though he wished more than once to not have felt that love at all.

A year after, the boy reappeared in Mark’s life. And Mark wanted to be angry at him, to hate him for what he did. But in the time they were separated Mark finally understood that they couldn’t be together if either of them truly loved the other.

Mark realized regretfully that he also stopped loving the other; that he only kept him with him because he didn’t want to feel lonely. So Mark accepted the other back in his life, and even when the other knew that Mark did it only to not be lonely, he was glad. Because he did love Mark in another way.

Mark learned to love the other as a friend, and they would start hanging out again. Mark never felt the urge to go further with him and neither felt the other. They were just happy with the friendship they had.

But in the process Mark lost the desire to love. He didn’t want any kind of romantic attachment to anybody. He thought he could live the rest of his life with the love of his parents, his best friend and the animals at the shelter. He didn’t need romantic love.  It didn’t even exist after all.

During that time neither he nor his best friend found love. His best friend would always convince him to go out and meet people; but somehow it never felt good. He knew sometimes his best friend would force himself to search for that love; but it never was real. But contrary to Mark, his best friend wouldn’t give up at the idea, and always said that he would find _the one_ , no matter what.

Well, Mark would always remember that day because it was really impressive to see a man like him saying that kind of words.

But Mark stopped believing. Things as _love_ and _the one_ don’t exist in real life; everybody only wants to continue the specie. Like animals. But they like to call it love and make a fuss over it.

A bark takes him out from his chain of thoughts. Mark smiles at the beautiful white maltese puppy that is staring at him while wriggling her tail. He bends down and picks his princess, caressing tenderly her flesh.

“How are you today, Coco?” he asks the puppy.

Coco barks as if she actually understood what Mark said.

“I’m glad you’re fine. I’m also very good, thank you”.

Coco barks again, and Mark puts her down. Then he fills her plate with her respective amount of food and Coco quickly runs to eat it. Mark smiles; since Coco arrived, she has been being Mark’s favorite. He would have adopted her time ago if it wasn’t because the owner of his house doesn’t allow him to have pets. But it’s okay to Mark, because at the shelter he can have all the pets he wants.

Coco wriggles her tail happily as she devours her meal. Mark crouches besides her, staring at the puppy lovingly.

“Who needs human love when you can have animals’ love, right Coco?” Mark asks the maltese, but she’s too focused on eating to answer him. “At least I’m sure you guys won’t break my heart”.

He hears the door opening and turns to find Momo, the Japanese assistant in charge of attending the reception.

“Mark, a guy here wants to adopt a dog” she informs him.

Mark nods and follows her. At this point, the girl is more than accustomed to Mark’s quiet personality. It’s not that they don’t talk; Momo is just a college student who needed some extra money and his boss hired her. Mark feels some sympathy for her because he knows firsthand how it is for a foreigner to start alone in another country. But of course, she has her own life as Mark has his separately. Mark doesn’t consider Momo as his friend but more of an acquaintance; but at least they are nice to each other. Besides, they’ve done this countless times now. Momo just attends customers when they want to buy pet’s supplies or when Mark receipts something for a pet he has just healed. Mark is the one who takes charge of adopting and healing animals.

Momo leads him to the hall; where there’s a boy filling the required file Momo had previously given to him. Mark nods, signaling to the girl that now it’s his turn so she returns to work on the computer.

Mark takes a look at the boy as he approaches him. He has dark hair and porcelain skin; and suddenly Mark feels the urge to touch it, to touch that tempting skin.

_What are you thinking, Mark. You don’t know him._

The boy seems to have finished filling the paper and raises his head. He takes a look at Mark and then smiles. Mark’s breath gets caught on his throat when he sees the boy’s face; it’s the most wonderful thing Mark’s eyes have ever seen. Not only his skin is perfect, but his face is adorned too with a pair of beautiful brown eyes, a cute nose and plump pink lips. Plus, his smile is just so brilliant. Suddenly Mark doesn’t now anymore how to talk or do something. He only wants to keep seeing that smile forever.

_Okay, Mark. You don’t know him but you sure want to._

Realizing that he must seem like a creep just standing there without saying anything, Mark clears his throat while putting a serious face.

“Hi, my name is Mark” he says, “I’ll assist you adopting a dog. Please follow me”.

The boy nods and stands up. He’s a few centimeters taller than Mark and has a nice body. Mark tries not to look again at his body; but that shirt seems to fit a little too well in the right places and Mark has been alone for some time. He decides to blame his hormones.

“My name is Jinyoung” the boy says behind him.

Mark wants to slap himself because now Jinyoung must think he’s rude since he forgot to ask for his name. Well, it’s really Jinyoung’s fault for being so nice to look at.

“Sorry, I didn’t intended to seem rude” Mark apologizes, extending his hand to Jinyoung so the latter can give him the paper.

“It’s okay, don’t worry”.

Jinyoung gives him the file and Mark catches it nervously. Shit, he forgot how hard it was to act normal with the person you like.

_Wait, like? What are you saying, Mark? You’ve just met him._

Mark decides to focus on the paper and forget about what his mind is thinking. He reads the information in the sheet.

“So, it’s your first time as an owner” Mark says, guiding Jinyoung towards the zone with the animals’ cages.

“Yes. Well, not really. The dog isn’t for me. It’s a present for my best friend. He loves animals but he couldn’t have one until now”.

“I see. Since you’re the one taking it you’ll have to give your information. But your friend can come later and we’ll change the info indicating that he’s the new owner, okay?”

Jinyoung nods and smiles to him again. Mark turns so Jinyoung can’t see the blush on his face. _Why does this boy have to smile all the time? He’s too adorable. I can’t._

Mark shows Jinyoung all the small breed dogs as he requested. Jinyoung nods at anything he says, observing all the animals. Mark catches the other several times looking at the animals amused, but never touching them; as if he was afraid they would break if he did.

_Cute._

Mark doesn’t even notice he’s chuckling until Jinyoung turns to look at him curiously. Mark coughs and puts an unfazed face again. Jinyoung bites his lower lip but says nothing; he just turns to look again at the puppy in front of him.

Mark sees him hesitating again. Jinyoung’s hand twitches, as if it wanted to touch but Jinyoung’s mind was forbidding it. Mark stares at Jinyoung’s eyes and he feels bewitched by them. He can’t stop looking at the mix of joy, sadness, longing and amusement that are battling in Jinyoung’s gaze. He thinks it’s wonderful; how someone can care a lot about something he can’t touch because he’s afraid he would destroy such beauty.

Mark can relate; he also wants to touch the beauty in front of him. Only that in his case, he’s afraid the thing breaking could be his heart. And Mark can’t go through something like that ever again.

At that moment Mark realizes he’s thinking about love. After years of not thinking about it, he’s doing it now thanks to this stranger that goes by the name of Jinyoung. Mark looks curious at him. Why he, out of all people, is making him feel like this? How is it possible that he’s able to make Mark think about love again? What kind of witchcraft is this?

Mark is put out of his trance when he notices that Jinyoung is not by his side anymore. Since he was that quiet, Jinyoung might have thought that he was free to go anywhere and now he’s standing right in front of his princess, staring at her with lovely eyes.

Mark is about to tell him that she’s not available when he sees Jinyoung’s hand moving to touch her, but stops midway. He sees Jinyoung hesitating again, admiring Coco as if she was precious, untouchable. Coco has noticed Jinyoung’s presence and stares at him with her head tilted to the side, as if she was too observing Jinyoung.

Mark watches in silence how Coco moves so her head is barely centimeters under Jinyoung’s palm. The boy bites his lip again, still doubtful. And then Coco raises her head and sticks her tongue out, licking the hand above her.

Jinyoung’s eyes dilate from pure shock, but he doesn’t take the hand back. Suddenly he’s giggling as Coco tickles his palm with her tongue. Jinyoung’s turns his hand so it’s easier for Coco to lick it, and smiles fondly at her. This time, he actually pets her with his other hand tenderly.

Mark is frozen at his spot. It’s the first time he sees Coco being that affectionate with someone who isn’t him. When other helpers try to get her to wash her or just walk her she always starts to bark and gets so nervous until Mark comes and takes her. But Jinyoung didn’t even have to do something to have her licking his hand.

Jinyoung actually laughs when Coco tries to get over him. He picks her up carefully and continues petting her while Coco tries now to lick his face. Jinyoung’s eyes turns into two crescent moons as he tries to stop the puppy, and cute wrinkles appear at their corners. And Mark swears he hasn’t seen anything more beautiful than the sight in front of him.

Mark can’t contain the smile that appears at his face as he sees Jinyoung playing with the puppy as it tries to lick his face. He really doesn’t know who is cuter: Coco or Jinyoung. He starts feeling something warm taking over his heart; but he refuses to call it love. The boy is cute, okay. And he’s sweet. And Coco likes him.

If Coco likes him why wouldn’t Mark like him too?

_My princess and my prince._

Mark shakes his head. Why did he think that? Prince? That was cheesy as fuck and Mark isn’t in love with the boy. He really isn’t.

“I like her” Jinyoung says.

Mark realizes he has been acting strange when he sees the amused face of Jinyoung staring at him. He blushes while biting his lip. He hears Jinyoung chuckling but he doesn’t dare to look.

“Does she have a name?” Jinyoung asks, trying to get Mark’s attention.

“Coco” Mark mutters without looking at Jinyoung.

Jinyoung smiles tenderly to him. Mark doesn’t notice but Coco seems to have done it, as she barks to him. Mark’s head lifts violently at it, and he sees the way Coco’s tail wriggles happily and Jinyoung’s equally happy face.

“Coco” Jinyoung repeats. “It suits her. You’re really cute, Coco”.

Coco barks as if she was thanking him; the smile never leaving Jinyoung’s face. Mark doesn’t know how to react. He would be lying if he said the scene in front of him isn’t making his heart beat faster. This is what Mark dreamt of long time ago, when he still believed in love: to form a little family, just him, his beloved one and his precious dog. He can perfectly picture Jinyoung at his house holding Coco like he is right now, greeting him after a day of hard work. He smiles unconsciously.

Jinyoung of course catches him. He would be also lying if he said he isn’t affected by the other boy. He believes in love but never in love at first sight. But with Mark, he’s starting to believe.

“Can I have her?” Jinyoung asks.

Mark wants to say no. He selfishly wants Coco just to himself; but Coco’s eyes are shining brightly, as if she was telling Mark that she has chosen him already.

If Coco has chosen him, why wouldn’t Mark do the same?

Mark decides to trust Jinyoung, forgetting that the dog isn’t for himself but for his best friend. But he has the feeling he’s doing the right thing trusting Jinyoung. He can’t deny the other when Coco has chosen him.

“Of course” Mark answers.

Jinyoung smiles to him and then ducks his head to stare at Coco.

“Have you heard that?” Jinyoung asks her. “You’re coming with me”.

Coco barks and licks his nose. Jinyoung chuckles but allows the puppy to keep doing it.

Mark feels butterflies on his stomach. He’s letting his princess go with this beautiful, kind stranger. But for some reason he doesn’t feel sad. Coco is going to have a nice life, Mark’s sure of it.

“Let’s fill the papers” Mark says, taking Coco from Jinyoung and placing her on her cage again.

Jinyoung waves his hand to her as Mark guides him to the hall again. The puppy barks while wriggling her tail excitedly. Momo hands him the proper papers to complete the adoption and then they go to an actual office.

Jinyoung sits in front of Mark as he writes something on the papers. Mark’s fingers are shaking, feeling nervous at the thought of being alone in the same room with Jinyoung. Inappropriate thoughts start to appear in his mind as he fills the sheets, and he has to pinch his leg under the table to keep him steady and prevent him from a more inappropriate awkward boner because of Jinyoung. When he raises his head to inform the other that is his turn to sign, his breath gets caught on his throat as Jinyoung stares at him intensely, biting his lip and making Mark’s imagination go wild.

Mark opts for passing the papers to him without saying anything, scared of the things that could go out from his mouth. Jinyoung also doesn’t say anything, but when he takes the sheets his fingers brush against Mark’s. Mark quickly takes his hand back, hiding it under the table and scrubbing it against his thigh as if it was dirty. Jinyoung raises an eyebrow to him, but quickly diverts his gaze towards the papers and fills them.

Mark wonders why today he’s so sensible to whatever thing Jinyoung does, when he has never felt this urge to touch, to kiss, to take and make the other his. Not even with his ex. Why is Jinyoung playing with his heart like that? And why is he allowing it?

_Because deep inside, you want that_. Mark thinks. _You want to believe in love again. And you want Jinyoung to prove you wrong; to prove you that love exists. You want him to be the one to you._

Mark glances slightly to Jinyoung as the other continues reading and signing the papers. Does he really want to believe in love again? Does his heart and body really want Jinyoung?

Well, he can clearly feel the sexual tension between them right now. Jinyoung looks so tempting with that shirt nicely tucked inside his tight pants. It’s not that Mark was staring; he totally wasn’t. And of course he hasn’t noticed that Jinyoung’s ass looks too good to be real. Again, he wasn’t staring.

There’s something about Jinyoung that has him totally hooked up. But there’s also so much fear of having his heart broken. Mark doesn’t know what to do. A part of him wants to surrender and submit to Jinyoung, but another part still refuses to the idea of love and doesn’t want to give in to Jinyoung.

“Mark” Jinyoung whispers.

It sounds delicious to Mark’s ears. He really wouldn’t mind having his name repeated on loop by Jinyoung all day. It sounds melodic, angelic; just like Jinyoung is.

“Mark” Jinyoung repeats again.

This time Mark realizes that Jinyoung is calling him because he has finished with the papers. Mark inhales deeply, trying to calm both his heart and body.

“Well, everything’s settled” Mark announces, taking the papers again. “I have to keep her for today and do some medical checks and wash her. She will be ready tomorrow for you to take her”.

“Good. Thank you” Jinyoung answers, standing up from his seat.

Mark does the same, glad that the helper’s uniform covers his raging boner. Jinyoung doesn’t seem to have noticed it, though.

“I should thank you” Mark says, “for taking Coco with you. She will finally have a decent place to stay and a family that will love her”.

“Well, she will only stay with me a few days” Jinyoung says, “but I’m sure Youngjae will love her. And he will take good care of her, I promise”.

Mark gives him a small smile and guides him towards the door. Jinyoung waves at Momo when they pass by her side, and she does the same to him. Mark opens the door for him.

“Well, good bye. And thank you again” Mark says.

Mark is already closing the door when Jinyoung calls his name, stopping him.

“Will I see you tomorrow too?”

The question catches Mark off guard and makes his heart beat faster in anticipation. He blushes furiously and nods; he couldn’t talk even if he knew what to say.

“Good” Jinyoung says with a wide smile. “See you tomorrow, Mark!”

And with that, the boy is gone. Mark finally closes the door and stares at the wall in front of him. He still can’t believe all the things that he has felt in just one evening.

_Why, Jinyoung? Why are you making me feel like this?_

It’s Momo’s voice what takes him back to reality.

“Well, which one of our furry friends are we giving to this handsome customer?”

Mark looks at her and then clears his throat, trying to bring the normal, quiet Mark back.

“Coco” he simply answers, walking towards the animals’ zone.

Momo follows him with her mouth open widely.

“You’re kidding” she says.

“I’m not” Mark answers.

“You didn’t even show her to anyone before. Why him?”

“He seems reliable” Mark answers while picking Coco up. “And Coco likes him a lot. Do you, Coco? Do you really like Jinyoung?”

Coco barks and wriggles her tail, agreeing to him.

“See?” Mark says.

“Wow”, Momo says, still in disbelief. “You’re really giving away your princess. Do you really like him that much?”

Upon hearing that Mark trips over his own feet, but reacts quickly because he’s still carrying Coco and he can’t let anything happening to her. He steadies himself and puts Coco on the animals’ stretcher.

“It’s not- not like that” Mark mutters, his face as red as a tomato. “I don’t like him. But Coco does, so I can’t really oppose when she has chosen him”.

“Are you sure it’s only Coco who likes Jinyoung?” Momo asks. “I mean, I’d totally understand if you like the boy. He’s really handsome, and nice. And he was giving me this gentleman vibe all the time…”

“I said I don’t like him, okay?” Mark quickly cuts her while preparing the necessary kit to test Coco.

“Okay” Momo says. “But you two would really make a cute couple”.

Mark wonders for a second if they would really fit together. Well, they’re both handsome. He isn’t going to deny that Jinyoung could be the most handsome man he has ever seen.

Momo gives him the stethoscope before walking towards the door, leaving him alone to do his duty; but Mark’s ears catch the last thing she says before completely disappearing.

“It’s a pity. He was totally checking you out…twice”.

As Mark makes sure Coco is fine he can’t help but wonder if Jinyoung felt the same way; if he liked what he saw as Mark did. He wonders if Jinyoung had felt the same attraction, the same sexual tension between them that is driving Mark crazy.

“What do I do, Coco?” he asks the dog, who looks at him expectantly. “Should I give this boy a chance to prove to me that love exists?”

Coco barks, telling him that her answer is a clear _yes, you should totally go for it_.

“Aren’t you scared that my heart could be broken again?”

Coco stares at him, tilting her head to the side.

“Well, I won’t know unless I try it. But what if I’m misunderstanding things and the boy was just being gentle with me without further interests?”

Coco barks again, and Mark finally picks her; placing her after in the bathtub.

“Okay. I’ll wait until he does the first move. If tomorrow I see that he isn’t interested I’ll forget it and I definitely won’t believe in true love ever again”.

Coco barks again, and Mark smiles at her before turning the shower on.

 

Later that night, as Mark takes his own shower at his house, he can’t stop thinking of black hair and rosy lips; of wrinkles around eyes and a nice butt. He even hears the other whispering his name in his ear.

_Mark._

He can hear Jinyoung’s voice lingering in his mind. He can see Jinyoung staring at him again with that intense gaze while biting his lip, as if he was waiting to eat him. As if Mark was his prey and Jinyoung his hunter.

As Mark’s hand travels lower through his body he curses the other. He doesn’t want to be a prey. And he doesn’t want anyone to have such power above him. But Jinyoung just popped out of nowhere and changed everything; and he would gladly submit to the other.

He’s whipped for a boy he has just met. And he knows it. And he likes it.

He curses once again his _fucking_ hormones, as if they were the cause for his heart to beat faster. As if they were the ones pushing him towards the other; as if his heart wasn’t already taken by the owner of the name that escapes past his lips as he finishes.

“Jinyoung”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! It's my first author's note in this fic. Nice to meet you all :D  
> For the moment we have met 4 of our main characters: our star Youngjae, who is already having a mental breakdown because he's in love with two persons at the same time (poor boy, he doesn't know what's coming over :p); one of the aforementioned persons, Jackson who is also in love with Youngjae but doesn't have the courage to ask him out; Youngjae's best friend and principal support Jinyoung who only wants the boy to be happy and now shy shy shy Mark whose entire existence has been slayed by Jinyoung (I feel you Mark, don't worry).  
> In the next chapters we'll be meeting the rest of Youngjae's suitors and we'll see if Jinyoung decides to make a move on Mark^^  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	5. Careless Bicycle Rider

Lim Changkyun is bored as hell, as usual. He thinks it’s normal when your IQ is above average and you don’t really need much study to nail all your exams. So, while your friends are busy frying their brains out to pass the upcoming exams, Changkyun doesn’t feel the need to study hard. He would just study the previous day and still ace the exam.

It has always been like that for him. Since high school he was very aware of his potential. He would always be the first of his class in almost everything without really putting much effort on it. He then decided to pursue an engineering degree hoping that it would become an actual challenge for him; but he passed all his exams with high grades and barely studying much. He sometimes wondered if he should have tried something different, but nothing else has really captured his interest.

The fact that his friends are in committed relationships doesn’t help either. When his friends aren’t studying or working they are hanging out with their partners, and Changkyun very much prefers staying home alone that become a third-wheel for any of them.

The only exception is Chae Hyungwon, Changkyun’s favorite friend. Opposite the rest, Hyungwon is single and with 0 interest in being in a relationship. He’s satisfied with making his way towards the model world, and hopefully he will make his dream come true soon. Changkyun really treasures Hyungwon, as the latter will always have time for him and they would always have fun together.

But not today; today Hyungwon is out of town for a modelling casting. Changkyun came yesterday to his house to give him his support. They hanged out for a while and Hyungwon even let him stay the night. But now he’s again at his own house bored as fuck.

After staring at the ceiling for a while thinking about something interesting to do, he decides that today is a great day to go out. The sun is shining brightly in the sky even though it’s starting to get cold. Changkyun gets up from his bed and puts his jacket and sneakers on before walking towards the hall of his apartment. He grabs his keys and places a hand above his bicycle saddle.

It has been a while since the last time he rode his bicycle. Usually Hyungwon picks him up with his car and takes him wherever he wants to go, or he just goes by feet. But today he feels like riding his bicycle again.

As he caresses the structure of it, he wonders why he stopped riding it. He has always enjoyed the wind hitting his face as he gains speed, the sensation of freedom as he descends from a slope without pedaling, just letting himself be. He decides he wants to feel that again, so from now on he’s riding his bicycle to go anywhere.

He finally opens the door and pushes the bicycle outside, not forgetting to lock the door. He walks to the pavement and hops on, starting to pedal without really having a place in mind to go; he just lets his feet work, not giving a shit about where he’s going to end at.

As he rides besides a park, he sees couples walking hand in hand, enjoying the nice day. Changkyun looks at them but taking care of not falling from his vehicle. He has always wanted to experience love, and he even had had a few girlfriends, but he never felt a special connection with any of them. When his friends finally would clear their agendas and they get to hang out, they would always bring their partners. Changkyun doesn’t mind; he likes all of them and besides, Hyungwon is also there by his side. But he would also feel a bit jealous of them. Being in love is something that Changkyun really wants to experience.

He has just passed the park when he sees something shining above everything else in the distance. Changkyun narrows his eyes and sees that it’s a bunch of strawberry blonde hair, on top of an even brighter face adorned with a beautiful pair of eyes and a wide smile; all of it belonging to an incredibly handsome boy who is walking towards his direction with his phone at his ear.

Changkyun doesn’t know if the warm sensation in his heart is love, but he feels the urge to meet the boy. He wants to talk to him, to get to know him and make that pretty smile appear on the other’s face thanks to him. He also wants to hug that nice body, and cuddle him to sleep. The boy is probably the cutest thing Changkyun’s eyes have ever seen; and we’re talking about a boy who has a pretty decent collection of teddy bears of all sizes, colors and types.

He’s so absorbed by the boy’s beauty that he almost misses the big rock in front of him and turns the handlebar suddenly, barely avoiding it. He has just sighed in relief when his bicycle collides with another object.

Changkyun loses control over his bike and almost falls, but he stops the vehicle and places both legs on the ground. He checks the state of his bicycle before turning to look at the obstacle he has bumped against.

His breath gets caught in his throat when he notices that the person he has just run over is none other than the pretty boy. He’s sitting on the floor, rubbing his knee through the hole of his jeans. Changkyun quickly lets go of his bicycle to help the poor boy.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Changkyun exclaims. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, I’m sorry”.

Changkyun offers his hand to him. The pretty boy raises his head and smiles to him; and Changkyun feels his face getting hotter while wondering how someone can smile like that to a person that has just pushed him around.

“Don’t worry”, the boy says. “I’m fine. I wasn’t looking where I was going either”.

Changkyun bites his lip. The boy in front of him is so handsome and sweet; he’s starting to think that he’s an actual angel.

“But your knee…” Changkyun mutters, noticing the red mark on the boy’s knee.

“I’m fine, it doesn’t really hurt” the boy says while smiling softly to him.

Changkyun can’t contain the smile that appears on his face. The boy in front of him is just so much; he’s different from anyone he has met before. Now his interest has been pretty much captured.

“I still feel bad about damaging you” Changkyun says. “Can I do something to compensate you?”

The other boy scratches his chin while looking at the sky, pondering about it. Changkyun doesn’t say it, but he’s ready to do anything this precious human being tells him. Like, _anything_.

Even though kissing his wound until it disappears sounds really nice.

Or just kissing him in general. On his lips. All over his body; anywhere.

Changkyun blushes upon imagining himself kissing the other tenderly.

“Actually,” the boy’s voice cuts his thoughts before they can escalate to the next level, “there’s something you can do for me”.

Changkyun stares at him curiously. The boy chuckles and _oh boy, that must be what heaven sounds like_.

“Could you give me a ride home?” the angel request.

Changkyun’s head doesn’t wait for his mind to process the information as it moves, nodding furiously. He picks up his forgotten bicycle and hops on, waiting for the other to climb behind him.

The boy giggles and Changkyun smiles to himself. The angel finally hops on and circles Changkyun’s body with his soft arms. Changkyun feels in the seventh heaven with the smiling angel back hugging him.

He has just put a feet on one of the pedals when he hears the other whispering dangerously close to his ear.

“My name is Youngjae, by the way”.

Changkyun smiles and starts pedaling. He purposely speeds up to make Youngjae hug him tighter and he succeeds; Youngjae lets out a shriek before wrapping his arms more against Changkyun’s chest. Changkyun’s heart can’t stop beating faster, feeling excited about what’s going on.

When they stop to wait for an old lady to cross the street before them, Changkyun turns his head back without really minding the closeness between their faces; if he just leans a bit more towards Youngjae he could kiss him.

“My name is Changkyun” he whispers to him.

Youngjae smiles again, and Changkyun feels the other’s hands softly caressing his body.

“Nice to meet you, Changkyun” he says.

Changkyun grins pleasantly to him before turning to the front and pedaling again following Youngjae’s directions.

During their journey they get to know more about each other. Changkyun discovers that Youngjae is of his same age and is majoring in music and composition, and he can guess that he also loves animals by the way he excitedly squeals every time they pass beside people walking their dogs. He can also know that Youngjae is a truly friendly person, as he wouldn’t let silence fall upon the two of them even when they have barely met.

Changkyun thinks that for the first time in a long time, he has found something that really interests him. He has met Youngjae, a boy he wants to continue discovering. He wants to see all of Youngjae. He wants to continue experiencing all these beautiful sensations by Youngjae’s side.

He feels very sad when Youngjae announces that they have arrived at his house. Youngjae releases him and gets off from the bicycle.

“Well, thank you for taking me home”, Youngjae says with a smile.

“It’s nothing” Changkyun says, smiling back.

“It really was a pleasure meeting you, Changkyun” Youngjae says with a sad smile now, searching through his pockets to find his keys.

“Youngjae” Changkyun calls him, not wanting to let go of the other that easily. “I still feel awful about what happened”.

Youngjae finally takes his key out, and turns to him before opening the door.

“Then maybe you could treat me coffee some time?” Youngjae boldly asks.

Changkyun is caught off-guard by it but quickly smiles, realizing that Youngjae is implying that they are going to meet again.

“And give me your number too” Youngjae adds, now smiling seductively to him.

Changkyun quickly takes his phone out, almost dropping it due to his shaking fingers, and unlocks it before handing it to Youngjae.

Youngjae picks it while chuckling, saving his number on it under the name ‘injured cute boy’ and then giving it back to Changkyun, who stares shocked at it.

“Text me when you get home” Youngjae says with a wink, turning to enter his house.

Changkyun mutters a ‘sure’ while subtly changing the name to ‘cute angel Youngjae’.

“And Changkyun” Youngjae says when he’s almost inside home. Changkyun raises his head and stares at him expectantly.

“It’s a date”.

Changkyun barely hears the door closing over the loud accelerated beats of his heart.

 

As soon as he accommodates his bicycle back at his hall, Changkyun takes his phone out and writes a text for Youngjae as the latter requested.

_Hi, Youngjae. It’s me, Changkyun^^ I’ve just got home._

He has just taken out his jacket when his phone buzzes above the table at the living room. He picks a bottle of water before picking it up and opening the message.

_Hello again, cutie^^ Thank you for texting me, I was waiting for it._

Changkyun takes a sip of water and then smiles, quickly typing a reply.

_You’re so nice. How’s your wound? I’m sorry again._

He goes to his bedroom and lies on his bed, closing his eyes and picturing Youngjae’s face in his mind. _Yup_ , Changkyun thinks, _I’m pretty sure I’m in love_.

His phone buzzes again on his stomach, tickling him. He reaches for it and smiles while reading Youngjae’s response.

_Aish, this boy :c stop apologizing! We’ve already settled a date so you can stop worrying about it!_

Changkyun is halfway writing a reply when another text comes in.

_Although maybe I should have asked for a kiss to make the pain go away._

Changkyun chuckles while wondering how someone can be this cute. Then another text arrives, followed by a few more.

_Would you have given it to me?_

_It doesn’t have to be on the knee, tho. It would be a bit weird :)_

_Whatever. You can kiss me wherever you want whenever you want._

_Maybe that was too straightforward haha. I’m sorry. It’s just you’re so cute I can’t resist!_

_Changkyun are you there?_

_Oh my God, I’m sorry if I scared you away! Please don’t be mad at me!_

_Changkyun?_

_CHANGKYUN PLEASE ANSWER ME DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD:_

Changkyun laughs. He doesn’t care if he seems a bit crazy right now; he may have actually lost his mind because of the boy yelling at him via text.

_Youngjae relax. I’m still here ;)_

Not even a second after he gets a reply.

_Don’t scare me like that :( and please don’t ignore me. Just forget what I’ve said before if it incommodes you. I understand we have just met and maybe I’m rushing things… I promise I’m not a creepy person. You’re just so so so so so cute *-*_

Changkyun shakes his head. Seriously, how can someone possibly ignore this extremely sweet and adorable angel? He’s really something else.

Changkyun smiles and decides that if Youngjae is going to make things clear since the beginning, he should reply equally.

_You say I’m cute? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? :p Seriously, I’m not afraid of you. I would have totally kissed you if you would have asked. Maybe you can get a kiss next time since you’ve established we’re going on a date._

This time a great five minutes pass before Youngjae replies back; time Changkyun spends worrying about Youngjae’s response.

_I really want to get to know you more. And I can’t wait to see you again ;) Text me date, hour and place and I’ll be there waiting for you :*_

Changkyun locks his phone and leaves it on his bedside table. He covers his face with his hands, thinking how lucky he is to have met such an awesome person like Youngjae who is also interested in him.

He’s sure he’s not going to be bored again any time soon.

 

As Changkyun doesn’t seem to be answering any time soon, Youngjae decides to call Jinyoung then to tell him the amazing evening he has just had; but his best friend gets ahead of him.

“Jinyoung?” Youngjae asks as he answers the call.

“Youngjae, you won’t believe what I have to tell you” Jinyoung excitedly says.

“What is it?” Youngjae asks curiously.

“I think I have a crush”.

“On who? You don’t have any more friends besides Jacks and me”.

“Excuse me, but I do know more people apart from Jackson and you. I also have coworkers, you know?”

Youngjae rolls his eyes as Jinyoung enters in his sassy mode.

“And besides”, Jinyoung keeps going, “I’ve just met him today. He…he’s new in town and came to our school to drop his little brother. It was love at first sight. He’s so shy yet so cute but handsome at the same time… and he seems so innocent; he gives me the urge to corrupt him”.

“Jinyoung chill. You’ve just met the boy”.

“I know right. But he seemed as affected by me as I was by him. I think he liked what he saw. I totally caught him staring a few times” the line falls silent for a while, until he speaks again. “Really Youngjae, you know I don’t like a lot of people; but this boy is something else. He screams ‘take me’ all over. I’m pretty sure he was giving me heart eyes…” then he adds in a lower tone, “even thought it could have just been because I was nice with the animals…”

“Animals? What animals?”

Youngjae hears Jinyoung cursing in a low voice and then the older clears his throat.

“One of my fellows brought some animals today to school to show them to the kids” Jinyoung says. Youngjae catches the lie but doesn’t say anything. “I was with them when he came to pick his brother up. The thing is I think I’m in love with him”.

“Really?” Youngjae asks excitedly. Jinyoung has been alone for a while and Youngjae as his best friend naturally wants him to be happy. “Jinyoung that’s fantastic! I really want to meet this boy. He must be really something if he has caught your attention”.

“Hell no. That’s no-no. You seem to attract any person that comes in front of you, and I really want Mark to myself”.

“So his name is Mark”, Youngjae says while smiling genuinely. “Don’t worry; I haven’t any intention of taking your boy away from you. Actually I was about to call you because I think I have… a third crush?”

“Youngjae” Jinyoung calls him seriously. “Please don’t. You’re already in love with two persons, how come you’re crushing on a third one?”

“But he’s really cute, Jinyoung! He’s different from Jackson and Kihyun”.

Jinyoung sighs.

“Okay; where, when and how have you met this boy?”

“The boy’s name is Changkyun. I was coming back to my house after a meeting at college when I ran into him. Well, actually he kind of run over me with his bicycle”.

“Oh my God Youngjae! Are you okay?”

“Can you let me finish, please? Of course I’m okay. I only have a small wound on my knee. He kept apologizing to me and feeling bad about it so I told him he could give me a ride home to pay me back for it. During the journey I’ve gotten to know him more and he’s so adorable. Then when I was home he insisted he still felt awful so I might had asked him to treat me coffee and told him it was a date”.

“Youngjae”, Jinyoung says firmly again after a pause. “Are you telling me that you asked a boy you have just met and that also has damaged you out? What were you thinking?”

“I’ve told you! Maybe it was also love at first sight. He’s so kind, Jinyoung. And he’s handsome. At first he was shy but then he started corresponding to my flirts and well…”

Youngjae hears his best friend sighing at the other side of the line.

“Okay, Youngjae. You’re free to do whatever you want. You know I’m going to support you with whatever decision you make. But loving three guys at the same time…it’s going to be hard”.

“Maybe my encounter with Changkyun was a sign. Maybe it was destiny. Maybe it was the universe telling me that Changkyun is the right person I have to be with”.

“Whatever Youngjae. I just don’t want you to be hurt”.

“You’re so cute, Jinyoung. But don’t worry, as I told you I’m just going to let everything go with the flow. Maybe I’ll end up falling more for Changkyun; maybe not. But I won’t know if I don’t try”.

“Well, there’s nothing else I can tell you so… if you want to talk about this Changkyun I have time”.

“Good, because I really want to tell you a lot of things about him-“

“But,” Jinyoung cuts him, “first you’re going to listen to me talking about Mark. No complains allowed”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! So, we've met another one of Youngjae's suitors: our cute but weird maknae Changkyun^^ Youngjae is currently having a mental breakdown because he now has a third crush while Jinyoung is very determinated to "corrupt" Mark >.>  
> Also, I don't know if I have mentioned it before but Jinyoung is an elementary teacher, so he obviously lied about his meeting with Mark so Youngjae won't suspect anything.  
> Next chapter we're meeting a certain bad boy ;)  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	6. Bad Boy

Im Jaebum takes off his helmet and shakes his head. He places it above his motorcycle’s seat and then runs a hand through his hair, combing it. He then bends down and takes a look at himself on the rearview. He stares at his own reflect, admiring how good his piercings look on both his ears and how his leather black jacket fits him perfectly.

Jaebum has always been the physical description of a ‘bad boy’. Since he was a child he liked to wear things like ripped jeans, leather jackets and black boots. He also liked piercings and having his hair styled back, giving him a more rebel look. He has always considered himself as an attractive person, with his defined jawline and that sexy stare accentuated by the twin moles above his left eye. He knows the impact he has on the people at his surroundings. He’s hot, he knows it and he’s not even going to deny it.

But contrary to his exterior image, Jaebum’s personality is very kind. He may have done some evil things, but he’s not one to mock other people without a fair reason or start a fight with anyone for nothing, and in fact is very gentle with other people. Well, only with people he likes. Once you get to really know him you discover that Jaebum is in fact a sweet kitty that only wants some love.

Of course he’s not one to be giving his love away to just anybody that throws themselves onto him. He knows he can have whoever he wants with only a wink and he may have used his charms sometime to have what he wanted. But as he grew up it wasn’t enough with one-night stands; he needed more. He received a lot of propositions for a stable relationship, but Jaebum always rejected them because he felt like something was off.

There are only two things that Jaebum asks for in a person who he wants to be in a relationship with: a kind heart and cuteness, lots of cuteness. Jaebum has a super soft spot for cute things, reason why he has adopted like three cats and lies to the employees of the toy stores when he buys cute plushies telling them that they are for his younger brother; but they are all accommodated in Jaebum’s room.

The combination of those two things is what leaded him to his very first serious boyfriend. The boy immediately caught his attention as he was a bit shy and always had a cute way to avoid public attention. Jaebum watched him for a while until he decided it was time to make his move. He had to work hard for it, but in the end he got to know the boy and they also developed a sentimental relationship.

Things were really good for a while until Jaebum realized the boy wasn’t _the one_ for him. The other would always sulk and cling to him and Jaebum needed space for himself. He started to fall out of love and the other noticed, so they decided to end the relationship.

It wasn’t an easy break up, but in the end they remained as best friends. Jaebum truly cared and loved the other, even thought it was never romantic again. Jaebum continued searching for _the one_ , his better half. He tried giving chances to different people, but he never felt any special connection with them. He longed for true love. He longed for a person that could really understand him, that would support him no matter what and be there for him.

Maybe that’s what also leaded him to pursue a composition degree. He always liked music, and sometimes it understood him better than people. He used it as a way to relieve stress, to express how he really felt. Jaebum was living for music in default of romantic love in his life.

He finished his studies two years ago, but he has come back to college to work on a project that teachers from the music department have developed recently. They want to create better musicians, so in their last year of college the students are going to have help from graduated musicians to make a special project that would really prove that they are talented in both music and composition. They can even get a great scholarship that will help them finding job more easily.

As Jaebum is a kind person and also was one of the firsts of his promotion he quickly volunteered to be an assistant. Besides, he really wants to try how it’s to be working on a team and giving advice to potential musicians and composers. And he gets paid as if he was doing an actual job, so he really doesn’t have any complains.

When he’s done fixing his hair he takes his helmet again in his hands and takes a look around the campus. It hasn’t really changed since he was a student, and it feels really nice being here again. His teachers were really proud with his marks, and quickly recommended him to their other friends in the music field. Thanks to them he got a job that provided him with enough money to give himself a whim and to help his parents too.

He takes a look at the students that are coming towards the music building where he’s going to work for this year. He sees young faces, but none of them really stands out for him. He thinks he has a special ability to tell with only a glance who has talent and who doesn’t. He sees faces that can have some talent, but nothing impressive.

He then sees a boy with pink hair coming towards the music building while revising the contents on his folder. Jaebum admits that the boy has peaked his curiosity; if he dares to dry his hair that color he probably has the balls to nail everything that it’s thrown to him. He’s the first candidate for Jaebum to get the special scholarship.

The boy suddenly stops walking and turns around, as if someone was calling for him. The boy smiles and saves the folder on his bag, and then it’s when another boy comes into Jaebum’s view and leaves him breathless.

The boy that approaches the pink haired boy hugs the other while smiling widely and they exchange some words. But Jaebum swears the said boy is the actual definition of ‘cuteness’; his strawberry blond hair looks so soft, his eyes shine with a special light and the way he smiles is simply adorable.

The first thing that comes to Jaebum’s mind is ‘angel’.

The boy has to be an angel. No one shines like he does without needing any exterior light. The boy is wearing white clothes that only highlight the beauty of his precious face and body. Jaebum can’t help but internally drool at how delicious the sight in front of him is. He needs to meet the boy and take him to his house to continue worshipping that masterpiece forever.

Jaebum sees the angel walking with the pink haired boy towards the music building. Even the way the boy walks is enticing to Jaebum. He’s almost sure that the angel walking in front of him is _the one_. Maybe not the one meant for him but the one he wants to treasure and take care of his entire life.

His heart stops beating for a moment when the angel looks past his friend and their eyes meet. Jaebum flinches but the angel gives him a sweet smile before entering the building. Jaebum swears he hasn’t seen anything more beautiful than that.

He shakes his head trying to get rid of his angelic thoughts and decides to get in to distract himself from thinking more about the boy. He doesn’t want to be this whipped for a boy he doesn’t even know without realizing that he already is.

He goes to the room where he’s supposed to meet the teachers and the other volunteers before meeting the students. When he arrives he’s quickly greeted by his previous teachers and some of his classmates. Among them, the one that got along better with him was Min Yoongi. The shorter boy only gives him a small smile but offers his hand for a shake.

“Long time no see, Im Jaebum” Yoongi says.

“It’s nice to meet you again” Jaebum replies back.

The lead teacher calls them and explains the method they are going to use in the project before guiding them towards the class where the students are waiting for them.

“I pity the poor souls that get assigned to you” Jaebum whispers to Yoongi playfully.

Jaebum recognizes he’s exigent with his work, but Yoongi is well-known for being almost impossible to please.

“I was called to train the next generation of talented musicians” Yoongi whispers back with a shrug of his shoulders, “so that’s what I’m going to do”.

Jaebum smirks at him. Well, given the circumstances Jaebum should also do the same and not be easy on his assigned students.

“And you?” Yoongi asks him, “How many heart-breaks are you going to provoke this year?”

Jaebum rolls his eyes. It’s not his fault he’s so good-looking that everybody wants a piece of him; blame his family’s genes. He knows that he has a reputation of a heartbreaker in the university and that he’s also famous for being cold; but instead of keeping suitors away from him the number of them only increased more. He also got the reputation of a ‘major dick’ because of the amount of people he rejected without even blinking, but again it’s not Jaebum’s fault that the rejected ones always run away before Jaebum could give them any word of encouragement or apologize to them, making him resemble as if he was in fact a bad boy. Thing that also seems to excite other people more and continue the vicious circle of people confessing to Jaebum with him rejecting everybody because they lack cuteness or kindness; thing that increases his reputation and then the circle starts again. Not to mention the addition of male population once the news about Jaebum having a boyfriend spread for the entire campus.

“I hope none” Jaebum answers. “I’m here for work. I’m not looking for any relationship right now”.

Yoongi gives him a dirty glance and Jaebum sticks his tongue out to him before they are told to come in to meet the students they are going to assist.

Once they are all in, the first thing that catches his sight is a bunch of strawberry blonde hair sitting beside the pink haired boy from before. Jaebum can’t believe how lucky he is that he has found the boy again. At least now he can have the angel’s name.

The lead teacher starts checking that all his students are there by calling their names. Jaebum’s eyes widen when he sees the angel raising his hand after the teacher said ‘Choi Youngjae’. Jaebum looks at his sunshine angel and smiles to him, admiring how cute the boy is.

_Choi Youngjae_ , Jaebum repeats mentally. _Sweet name for a sweet person_.

While the lead teacher keeps calling the other student’s names, Jaebum and Youngjae cross gazes again. Jaebum slightly blushes at being caught by the person he was admiring, but blushes more after seeing how Youngjae is checking him out from head to toes while trying to be discreet about it. Jaebum diverts his gaze towards the professor, who is now explaining the teaching method to them. When Jaebum thinks that Youngjae must be paying attention to the teacher he looks at him out of the corner of his eye, meeting Youngjae’s gaze again as the younger keeps looking at him while smiling. Jaebum turns his head again, heart beating faster at having been noticed by his new crush.

“You’re already seated by pairs so now we’re going to assign a guide for each one of the couples” the lead teacher announces.

He starts calling the volunteers by their last name and assigning them to a pair of students. Jaebum’s heart stops every time the teacher is about to say the students’ names, not wanting another helper assigned to Youngjae and his partner, Yoo Kihyun. He looks discretely at Youngjae while wishing he’s going to be assigned to them. Youngjae now isn’t looking at him; he’s exchanging whispers in the ear with Kihyun. He doesn’t like how close they are but also wants to know what they are saying. Does Youngjae want him as his guide as much as he wants the sunshine angel to be his pupil?

“Im Jaebum” the teacher calls him. “You’re going to work with…”

Jaebum looks one more time towards Youngjae while hoping it will be him and meets Youngjae’s gaze, who looks at him with shining eyes.

“Han Sanghyuk and Lee Jaehwan” the teacher announces.

Jaebum’s mood drops and he curses under his breath before putting a false smile as he approaches his assigned pupils. On the good side, both Sanghyuk and Jaehwan seem nice and talented, but Jaebum can’t help but wish they were a certain angel and his pink haired friend.

He’s still sulking about it when Yoongi’s name is called. He smirks, pitying the pour souls that are going to be paired with the impassible Min Yoongi.

“You’re going to work with…” the teacher says, checking his notebook where he had everything arranged already, “Choi Youngjae and Yoo Kihyun”.

Jaebum’s smile drops. Yoongi also doesn’t seem satisfied with it, and doesn’t even smile when he walks to stand in front of his new pupils. Jaebum curses God, universe, destiny or whatever that has made his sunshine angel and his friend be paired with evil Min Yoongi instead of him.

He can’t help but frown when Youngjae offers his hand to Yoongi for a shake, saying how nice it is to meet him, and surprisingly Yoongi accepts it and he even smiles slightly. Jaebum’s jaw drops, not believing what his eyes are seeing. Min Yoongi, serious, impassive, exigent Min Yoongi has just freaking smiled because of an extremely cute boy he has just met.

As if Jaebum wasn’t interested in Youngjae before, his curiosity towards the boy has just increased upon seeing how nice Yoongi seems to be with him. Jaebum needs to meet Youngjae. He needs to discover how he could be able to make a devil like Yoongi smile angelically.

He needs to know why this boy has him totally hooked up. Jaebum wants to know why Youngjae has this effect on him; but most of all he wants Youngjae to be his.

But for the moment he’s stuck with another two guys who seem very eager to learn from him. Jaebum explains to them how they are going to work, the things he likes and dislikes and in which things he’s a specialist. Sanghyuk is telling him the things they have done until now when they hear an unfamiliar sound resonating through the entire class. They all stop talking and turn to look at the source of that mysterious sound.

Jaebum has heard that sound once in his life and he never thought he would be hearing it again. He stares in disbelief at Yoongi, who is laughing his ass off at something Youngjae is telling him. Jaebum looks back and forth between the two, wondering what could have done Youngjae to make the other laugh. Jaebum now needs more than ever to meet Youngjae.

Youngjae notices the entire class looking weirdly at them, so he shuts his mouth but still looks at Yoongi, who stops laughing slowly. When the entire classroom falls into silence he clears his throat and mutters a solemn ‘what are you looking at?’, making the others resume their previous duty.

Sanghyuk continues giving information to Jaebum, but the only thing the composer’s brain registers is how amazingly incredible Choi Youngjae is.

 

Jaebum places his helmet above the saddle of his motorcycle and stares angrily at the ground. He tried convincing Yoongi to swap pupils with him but the other refused, saying how satisfied he is with his assigned boys. The other started to talk about how wonderful Youngjae is and Jaebum had to put an excuse to leave, jealousy running through his veins at the edge of turning into fury.

He’s still trying to calm his rage down when he hears a melodic voice calling him.

“Professor Im?”

Jaebum turns around violently, wanting to meet the owner of that sweet voice. He smiles delighted when he sees that said owner is none other than his sunshine angel, Choi Youngjae.

“Not professor” Jaebum says while leaning against his motorcycle and crossing his arms on his chest, “we’re just helpers. Call me just Jaebum”.

“Okay, just Jaebum” Youngjae says with a smile. Jaebum can’t stop the wide grin that spreads through his face as Youngjae says his name. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Of course” Jaebum replies. _You can talk to me all the time you want_.

“Okay” Youngjae says cutely while fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “As you know, Kihyun and I got assigned to Yoongi, and I’m very glad with it because Yoongi is really nice”, Jaebum can’t help but mentally disagree, but he lets the younger keep talking, “but he wants us to try new genres. It’s fine with me but my passion are ballads. I want to improve my ballad’s composition but Yoongi won’t help me; but he told me you are the best at it so I wanted to request for your help with that”.

Jaebum needs to place his hands on the motorcycle for support after hearing that. He has to withdraw what he thought about Yoongi; he has just done him the favor of pushing Youngjae towards him. And oh boy he’s going to make the most of it.

Youngjae is patiently waiting for his response with bright eyes, bouncing cutely on his feet. Jaebum chuckles internally while externally smiles.

“Of course. I’ll help you with whatever you want” Jaebum says and Youngjae’s smile only gets wider. “After all, we’re here to help you improve, aren’t we?”

Youngjae takes a step closer to him, making Jaebum flinch in anticipation but before the younger can say anything he speaks again.

“The problem is I don’t have much free time” he says. He’s not lying; after all he has to prepare everything for this project. But of course Youngjae only has to call him and he will clean his agenda real quick. The thing is he wants Youngjae’s number.

Youngjae’s smile falls and looks at him pleading with his eyes. Jaebum is aware those eyes are going to be the death of him, but he still wants it. The boy is too cute to let go.

“But if you give me your number I can call you when I’m free and we can do something” Jaebum says.

Youngjae nods, but before Jaebum can take out his phone from his pocket Youngjae is standing right in front of him while introducing his hand on Jaebum’s pocket, taking Jaebum’s phone by himself.

Jaebum watches speechless how Youngjae saves his name on it while biting his lips sexily. Youngjae locks it when he’s finished and puts it on Jaebum’s pants back pocket, his hand touching Jaebum’s ass.

“You can call me anytime you like” Youngjae whispers with a deep voice on his ear

With a last squeeze of Jaebum’s butt, Youngjae separates from him and gives him a last smile before going away. Jaebum is still recovering from the shock when he hears his name being called again by Youngjae.

He’s quickly brought back to reality by the same person he was daydreaming of just a while ago. Youngjae is staring at him curiously with his head cutely tilted to the side. Jaebum should have known it was all in his head; Youngjae is an angel, he’s too pure to do something like that to a boy he has just met. Besides, how could he have unlocked his phone that easily?

“Ah yes, my phone” Jaebum mutters while searching in his pocket for it. He smiles nervously, cursing his tight pants that threaten with exposing his previous thoughts. He hopes Youngjae hasn’t notice his slight boner or it’s going to ruin his chance with the younger.

He unlocks his phone and hands it to Youngjae without saying anything. Youngjae smiles at him and mutters a ‘cute’ before proceeding to save his number. Jaebum blushes lightly while watching the movements of his fingers touching his phone’s screen. They seem so soft that Jaebum has to restrain himself from intertwining them with his.

“Done” Youngjae hands it back to his rightful owner still grinning, “call me when you have time. See you around, Jaebum!”

Jaebum waves to him as Youngjae goes away. When the younger is totally out of his sight he leans again against his motorcycle and sighs. Then he unlocks the phone and searches for Youngjae’s number.

This time he’s not imagining things as he reads a ‘baby Jae’ settled as Youngjae’s contact name.

 

“It’s not funny!” Youngjae exclaims as he tries to make his best friend stop laughing by slapping him repeatedly on the shoulder.

“But it’s so funny, Youngjae!” Jinyoung says while covering his laughter with his hand, “or should I say ‘baby Jae’?”

Jinyoung burst into laughter again meanwhile Youngjae glares intensely at him.

“I shouldn’t have told you anything” he declares.

“Aw, don’t be mad at me Youngjae” Jinyoung says while stopping laughing. “It’s your own fault for saving your number as ‘baby Jae’ in a stranger’s phone”.

“I thought it would be funny to him, okay? Since we are both Jae’s… I should have thought how ridiculous it was before doing it”.

“Well, you just wanted to make a good impression. It’s not as if you were actually flirting with him…”

Youngjae doesn’t answer. Instead he bites his lip, and Jinyoung stops smiling.

“You weren’t, were you?” Jinyoung asks his best friend while narrowing his eyes.

“I wasn’t” Youngjae answers.

“Then why are you acting like that?”

Youngjae takes a sip from his chocolate before sighing.

“I think I have something like a fourth crush”.

Jinyoung’s eyes widen in shock and he almost chokes on his coffee.

“WHAT?” Jinyoung yells. Almost the entire café turns to glare at him while Youngjae places his finger against his lips.

“Don’t yell, Jinyoung”.

“But Youngjae, how can you have another crush? You just told me yesterday you had a new crush!”

“I know right? But Jaebum is different”.

“You said the same about Changkyun”.

“Yes, but he’s really different. He has this bad boy look that it’s super-hot but on the inside he’s a softie. He’s like an ice-cream cake. Cold on the outside but sweet on the inside”.

Jinyoung gives him an incredulous look.

“Have you just seriously called a boy ‘ice-cream cake’?”

“Jinyoung, that’s not the point. But he is. You should see him; he’s so… so hot! But he gets easily flustered and it’s so cute. I like him”.

Youngjae stares innocently to Jinyoung while sipping from him mug, searching for Jinyoung’s approbation. Jinyoung rolls his eyes and finally gives in.

“Okay, so you’re now crushing on a boy you have just met. Again” Youngjae nods cutely. “What are you going to do about it, Youngjae? You’re crushing on four guys already”.

“I’ll still continue going with the flow. I will spend time with all them and see how it goes, and then maybe I will fall deeper for just one or forget about all of them or I don’t know”.

“Just don’t get involved in a serious committed relationship with any of them if you’re not sure it’s going to work for you” Jinyoung says as he stands up.

“Where are you going?” Youngjae asks him suspiciously.

“I have a meeting with my coworkers” Jinyoung answers without looking at him. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

Youngjae nods before bidding farewell to him. When Jinyoung is out of his sight he takes another sip and smirks.

“I know you too well, Park Jinyoung” Youngjae mutters to himself. “You’re going to meet your Mark boy. You can’t lie to me”.

Youngjae finishes his drinks calmly. He’s almost done with it when someone clears his throat in front of him.

“Jaebum?” Youngjae asks the other.

“Hi, Youngjae” Jaebum greets him. He has changed his clothes and is now wearing a sweater and jeans with his hair covering his forehead. He still looks hot but he also seems softer. “What a coincidence, don’t you think so?”

“Yes. Do you want to sit with me?”

Jaebum smiles and takes Jinyoung’s seat.

“How come a pretty boy like you is sitting all alone in a place like this?” Jaebum teasingly asks while drinking his hot coffee.

Youngjae is taken aback for a second but quickly smiles, not wanting Jaebum to see how much he affects him.

“I was with my best friend, but he suddenly left for a ‘meeting’”.

“That ‘meeting’ sounds suspicious”.

“It is. I’m almost sure he left to meet his potential new boyfriend”.

“So he left his best friend to go flirt with a boy? Wow. I wouldn’t have left you alone, who knows the people that could be out there?”

“You mean bad boys like you?”

Jaebum raises an eyebrow to him meanwhile Youngjae smiles to him.

“Yeah, bad boys like me that could assault you easily anywhere”.

“Do you really think it would be that easy? The only reason I allow you to accompany me is because I know that deep inside you’re good”.

Jaebum smirks at that and takes a suggestive sip from his mug.

“It depends. Do you want me to be bad or good to you? What will work for you to let me get inside your heart?”

Youngjae bites his lip. Why is Jaebum so straightforward now? He’s shamelessly flirting with him and openly exposing his interest in him. But Youngjae isn’t one to back off; much less when he’s enjoying the game so much.

“It’s a bit complicated” Youngjae answers with a seductive smirk while leaning on the table to whisper to Jaebum. “There are like four persons already there without counting animals, family and my squishy best friend”.

Jaebum clicks his tongue in annoyance. As he thought, Youngjae is not an easy prey, but Jaebum wouldn’t like him any other way. He was expecting the other to put a fight, but the fact that there are already another four persons for Youngjae is a bit scary. But he’s not going to back off, never.

Youngjae sees Jaebum battling with his thoughts for a moment. Youngjae internally laughs at it. _Poor boy_ , he thinks, _he doesn’t know he’s one of the four_.

“And what do I have to do to get myself a place in there?” Jaebum asks, also leaning closer towards Youngjae.

Youngjae smirks. So Jaebum is very interested after all. It only adds to the things that Youngjae finds sexy about Jaebum, that determination to make the other his, but how he also stares lovingly at him. He’s almost sure Jaebum would cuddle him after sex, and he would be eager to prove it if it wasn’t for the fact that he has just known him.

And he has to get out from here as fast as he can or else it would lead to a very uncomfortable situation.

Youngjae stands up, collecting his things before patting Jaebum’s shoulder playfully and bending down slightly to whisper in his ear.

“Keep wearing those tight pants and you’ll be in in no time”.

Shock never leaves Jaebum’s face as he watches the other leaving the café and disappearing in the street. Only after a while Jaebum comes back to his senses, shaking his head before pinching himself on the arm to check that this time he’s not imagining things.

After flinching at the pain in his arm he picks up his phone and quickly dialogs his best friend’s number, who answers at the third ring.

“You won’t believe this” Jaebum says on the phone, “but I’m sure I’ve met _the one_ ”.

There’s silence at the other side of the phone before his best friend speaks again.

“Me too”.

And Jaebum’s previous shock is nothing compared to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jaebum being owned by Youngjae in his face, lol  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! I'm emotionally devastated at the moment because: 1) my precious sunshine baby otter is in pain again and it's so unfair! My baby deserves all the good in this world but bad things keep happening to him. My poor baby, I hope he's resting well and will come back fully recovered to keep blessing us with his existence :D and 2) the enlistment date for my ultimate bias aka Suju's Kyuhyun has just been revealed and here I am crying for my other baby who is going to the army next month. Why my two ultimate biases/babies whyyyyyyyy DDDDDDDDD:  
> Putting that aside, here you have the awaited 2jae's meeting. I've had so much fun with Jaebum trying to keep his cold façade but not lasting even two seconds in front of Youngjae. But he's so determinate to have his sunshine angel meanwhile Youngjae keeps having a mental breakdown because of his four crushes :p  
> And poor Jinyoung. He doesn't know what to do with his best friend anymore. Next chapter we'll see how his 'meeting' went.  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	7. Coco

Mark takes a look at the reception of the shelter again, but it’s still empty. Even Momo isn’t there at her usual place. He looks at the clock again while biting his lip, wondering why Jinyoung hasn’t come to pick Coco yet.

“Waiting for someone?” he hears Momo asking from behind him.

“Ye-yeah” Mark answers, and Momo raises a suspicious eyebrow at him. “I mean, I’m a bit bored right now. I wish someone would come in so I had something to do”.

“Sure” Momo says while walking to her spot. “This hasn’t anything to do with Jinyoung coming to get Coco, has it?”

Mark tenses upon hearing that and turns back, aiming to return to the zone with the animals cages.

“Of course not”.

He has just taken three steps away when he hears the door being opened.

“Hi, Jinyoung!” Momo greets the other.

Mark turns around violently, tripping with his own feet and looking hopelessly at the hall. But Jinyoung isn’t there; just Momo laughing her ass off near the door.

“I knew it!” she yells. “You’re waiting for Jinyoung!”

Mark sighs in annoyance. He wishes he wouldn’t have tripped over his own feet and made it seem as if he was the clumsiest person in the world.

“I’m just worried he won’t come back to pick Coco”.

“And why wouldn’t he? Who passes through the entire adoption process to not pick the dog later?”

“I don’t know”.

“Mark, do you realize you’re only making excuses to not admit that you want to see Jinyoung again?”

“I’ve told you, I’m not interested in Jinyoung! I just want Coco to be happy”.

“Okay, okay. Don’t be mad at me”.

Mark sighs. He didn’t want to make Momo angry, but he gets extremely nervous whenever Jinyoung’s name is mentioned.

“What’s going on here?” a third voice irrupts in the room.

Mark wants to die. He completely forgot that his boss shares the same name as the person that is making him nervous. Mark refuses to call him his crush although is pretty obvious that he is.

Mr. Park Jinyoung or JYP as he likes the people calling him is his boss. He’s very kind and treats all his employees with care. Sometimes he does crazy things but Mark has always found it funny.

“Mr. JYP!” Momo excitedly says. “Nothing is going on here. It’s just Mark is excited because _someone_ is taking Coco today”.

The man called JYP forms an ‘o’ with his mouth. He knows how much Mark cares about Coco.

“I thought that day wasn’t going to come” JYP says, “I’ve heard rumors that you didn’t even showed her to our customers”.

“That’s not a rumor” Momo says, “it’s the truth”.

Mark ducks his head down, trying to avoid eye contact with his boss as much as possible.

“So I guess this person has to be someone special if you’re giving your princess away to them. Who is this special person, Mark?” JYP asks him.

“He isn’t special” Mark mutters.

“So it’s a he”.

“He’s Mark’s new potential boyfriend!” Momo shouts.

Mark glares at her while blushing furiously.

“He isn’t my anything” Mark answers.

“Uuh, is Markie in love with someone?” JYP says while poking Mark’s arm.

“Of course not” Mark denies, still blushing.

“His name is Jinyoung” Momo intervenes.

“Oh Mark, are you in love with me?” JYP says dramatically. “I’m sorry but I can’t reciprocate your feelings. I already have a wife, you know?”

Mark face palms himself.

“Not you!” Momo answers for him. “A handsome boy that came here yesterday. He was looking at Mark as if he was a candy”.

“That’s not true!” Mark defensively says.

“Oh, he was. He was giving you heart eyes and he examined your back more than once when you weren’t looking”.

Mark feels his face getting hotter with each word she says. JYP looks amused at them, remembering his youth when he too was in love.

“I want to meet this boy, Mark” JYP says. “I have to make sure he’s good people before giving you away to him”.

“I’m not a pet” Mark says.

JYP is going to add something more when the door opens. The three of them turn to look at their new customer and Mark flinches as he sees that radiant smile on the beautiful face of _his_ Jinyoung.

“Look Mark, it’s your Jinyoung” Momo whispers to him as if she had read his mind.

“He’s not my Jinyoung” he whispers back as Jinyoung walks towards them.

“Hi” he greets all of them. “I’ve come to take Coco with me”.

As realization hits JYP he smirks, reaching for Jinyoung’s hand to give him a shake.

“So you’re the famous boy that is taking care of our princess Coco” JYP says while vigorously shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m the owner of all this, Park Jinyoung. But call me JYP”.

Momo covers her laugh with her hand while Mark looks terrified to them.

“Wow, my name is also Park Jinyoung” Jinyoung says, trying to free his hand from the man’s hold. “Nice to meet you too”.

“I like this boy Mark” JYP says, releasing Jinyoungs hand and turning to smile at Mark. “You should keep him”.

Jinyoung looks amazed to him. Mark only blushes but quickly takes Jinyoung by the arm to drag him away from those rascals, who follow them with their gazes.

“Sorry about that” Mark says, leading Jinyoung towards the medical area where Coco is at.

“You don’t have to be sorry” Jinyoung says, smiling while looking at Mark’s hand that is still holding his arm. “Your boss seems nice”.

“He is” Mark answers, “at least the 90% of the time”.

“What’s with the 10% that’s missing?”

_He has just lost it for embarrassing me,_ Mark thinks.

“Sometimes he gets mad over little things and makes a ruckus about it” Mark lies, “but it fades quickly”.

Jinyoung nods. When they finally arrive Mark frees him much to Jinyoung’s dismay. Mark bends down in front of Coco’s travel cage.

“Hi, Coco” he says as he opens her door. “Look who is here”.

Coco gets out from the cage and tries to jump over Mark, who falls back in his butt as Coco takes over and licks his face.

Jinyoung giggles seeing Mark struggling to stop Coco. Mark looks so cute, with his cheeks tainted red from embarrassment and his hands clumsily trying to catch the dog.

“Coco stop” Mark commands the dog, who ignores him and continues with her attack.

“Coco” Jinyoung calls him, feeling sympathy for Mark who is still sitting on the floor. “Hi, it’s me, Jinyoung”.

Coco tilts her head to him and barks before running towards him, poking his legs with her paws to catch his attention. Jinyoung chuckles before picking her up from the floor, carrying her as if she was a baby with one hand. He offers the other to Mark, who is praying the Earth to eat him alive, but takes Jinyoung’s hand nevertheless.

The contact is brief but both of them feel shivers running through their spines. Mark is quick to withdraw his hand, still feeling Jinyoung’s warmth. Jinyoung notices his blush and chuckles, petting Coco’s fur with his now free hand.

“So cute” Jinyoung mutters.

“Coco is the cutest” Mark agrees.

“I wasn’t talking about her” Jinyoung says while staring into Mark’s eyes.

Mark catches the hint and blushes even more, making Jinyoung giggle.

“You’re so cute, Mark”.

Mark’s heart beats so fast that it threatens to go out from his chest. He tries to calm himself, but it’s useless. He has a crush on the boy, he has to acknowledge it. He loves the way Jinyoung speaks to him so gently. He loves the way Jinyoung looks at him with so much appreciation. He loves the way Jinyoung makes him feel with only one of his smiles.

Mark smiles to him as if he was thanking him. He definitely wants to give this boy a chance. He wants to discover everything about Jinyoung. He wants to feel love again and wants Jinyoung to make him feel it. He gives him so much safety. Jinyoung doesn’t look as if he was able to hurt him. He’s too gentle, too nice to damage someone.

Jinyoung observes Mark as he gets lost in his thoughts. He wants to know what Mark thinks. He wants to know if Mark feels what he feels or if his love is unrequited. He hopes it’s the first option. He has to have Mark, because every time he sees the other the only thing he wants to do is take him home and shower him with kisses and tons of love.

Finally, Mark decides that he should correspond to Jinyoung’s flirting to let him know he’s interested. He clears his throat and smiles at him.

“I’ve prepared something for you…” Mark mutters staring at Jinyoung, and then adds “…handsome”.

The unexpected compliment hits Jinyoung’s heart hard. He gets lots of compliments about his appearance but he never minded them unless they came from Youngjae. But now it’s completely different. The fact that it was Mark who said it makes his heart flutter and his smile gets wider.

“Thank you darling” Jinyoung answers with a smirk.

Mark feels defeated again. It doesn’t matter how much he tries to flirt with Jinyoung, the other always leaves him knocked out with any nickname he calls him.

Mark turns around and picks a huge bag from the table while trying to contain the blushing. By now his face must have taken red as his natural color with how much he’s getting flustered today.

“This is for you” Mark says, turning around again to offer the package to Jinyoung. “I’ve figured that you didn’t have any pet supplies so I’ve put all the things you will need to take care of Coco here”.

Jinyoung is touched by how much Mark cares about the dog. Coco barks cutely as if she too had understood Mark’s words. Jinyoung places her inside her cage and picks it up.

He doesn’t know very well how he’s supposed to be carrying Coco’s cage and the huge bag at the same time, at least until he reaches his car. He tries to take it from the bottom, placing his hand dangerously close to Mark’s lower region to take it from him.

Mark notices Jinyoung struggling with the bag and scolds himself mentally for not offering to charge with it for him. He’s about to tell the other about it when he feels something rubbing against his crotch. Mark feels his entire body getting hotter and quickly releases the package. Fortunately, Jinyoung has it secured in his embrace already.

“Thank you, Mark” Jinyoung says. “How much is it?”

“Oh, you don’t have to pay me. It’s a gift” Mark answers, trying to calm his lower region.

_Why does this keep happening to me_ , Mark thinks.

“Oh no, I can’t accept it” Jinyoung continues saying, not aware of Mark’s problem. “There are a lot of things inside and I bet you chose the best for her. Let me pay for it, please”.

Mark looks at him and smiles internally. So, Jinyoung is not a boy who takes advantage of the others; another point at his favor.

“Okay, follow me” Mark says.

He leads Jinyoung to the hall again. He still feels awful for not helping Jinyoung carry all that, but right now he can’t risk embarrassing himself more with an awkward actual boner.

Mark rolls his eyes as Momo and JYP smile at them. They’re still in the same position they left them few minutes ago.

“Oh, what’s that?” Momo asks pointing at the huge package Jinyoung is carrying.

“Mark prepared some pet supplies for me” Jinyoung answers.

Mark pretends to be busy calculating the price of the products he put on that bag. As Jinyoung wondered, he chose the best for his princess; but of course he can make a small discount for his prince.

“What a detail!” JYP exclaims excitedly. “Isn’t our Mark the sweetest?”

Mark raises his head to glare at his boss, but his head moves on his own and ends up staring at Jinyoung, waiting for his reaction.

“He’s really sweet” Jinyoung agrees, and then adds in a lower tone “I want to taste it”.

Momo and JYP look shocked at him, but it’s nothing compared to what Mark is feeling right now. He inhales and exhales deeply before throwing the calculator roughly on the counter before Jinyoung, startling the other three persons.

“This is the price” he mutters, looking nervously to the floor.

Jinyoung smiles to him before taking out his wallet to pay for the supplies. JYP and Momo stare at Mark, who looks back at them like saying ‘what’. JYP and Momo giggle and Mark has to sigh again.

“Here you go” Jinyoung says, “keep the change. The service was really good”.

Momo squeals while JYP claps his hand together. Mark swears he hasn’t been this embarrassed ever in his entire life.

“Don’t forget to recommend us to your friends if they are planning on adopting a pet” JYP says.

“Of course. It was really nice to meet you all” Jinyoung says with a bow, collecting all his things before smiling at Mark. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mark. Take care”.

Mark replies with a ‘same’ and stares at Jinyoung, waiting for his next move.

_Please say something more_ , Mark thinks.

“Good bye” Jinyoung says while walking outside the shelter.

_Please turn back. Please don’t leave. Please ask for my number. Please stay with me_.

Mark can feel all his hopes dying the moment Jinyoung exits from the shelter without looking back again. He ducks his head and pouts in sadness. He was sure Jinyoung was _the one_ for him. The one who would make him believe in love again. The one who would stay by his side forever.

“Well, he totally has the hots for you” JYP says then.

“He wants to taste you” Momo says with a wink, poking his arm.

Mark walks away from them, not wanting to hear more about Jinyoung. He has ended disappointing him at the end. Mark goes to the cages zone and instinctively reaches the spot where Coco was, remembering that now his princess is with someone else. Someone he wanted to be with too.

Dejected he heads back to the hall to ask for a rest. He hasn’t even crossed the door when he hears the main door being opened again.

“Where’s Mark?” he hears Jinyoung’s voice saying.

Upon hearing it Mark’s heart starts to beat faster again. His legs join the movements of his heart and quickly he reaches the hall. But unfortunately his excitement gets in between and he ends tripping over his feet _again_.

Jinyoung quickly reaches for him and catches him before he falls to the floor. Mark mutters a ‘thank you’ but it’s too embarrassed by his own clumsiness to look at him. Nevertheless, he’s so happy that Jinyoung has come back asking for him.

“I forgot” Jinyoung says. Mark notices then that Jinyoung isn’t carrying Coco or the bag anymore, and guesses that Jinyoung has left them in his car. “I’m still new in this having a pet thing, so if you could give me your number in case I need advice I would be very grateful”.

Mark is about to tell him that _yes, you can have my number, my life and anything you want_ when Jinyoung starts speaking again.

“Better, I’ll give you my number and my address in case I have an emergency and need you” Jinyoung says while looking for pen and paper, which Momo offers to him very gladly.

Jinyoung writes his information on it and places it on Mark’s pocket, his hand rubbing _again_ against a sensitive spot of Mark’s body.

“Call me, baby” Jinyoung whispers in his ear.

Jinyoung bids farewell to them again and leaves the shelter, leaving an excited Momo and JYP and a dumbfounded Mark behind.

“Wow, that was pretty straightforward” JYP says. “The boy is coming for you with all his weapons”.

“Mark has a boyfriend~!”Momo singsongs, being quickly followed by JYP.

“I bet you’re enjoying this” Mark says, trying to collect his sanity again.

“Not as much as you do” Momo says.

Mark looks panicked at his lower region, but fortunately nothing is visible there. He sighs in relief before glaring at the pair.

“He’s not my boyfriend” Mark says, “and I don’t want to talk about it more”.

Momo and JYP give him thumbs up but Mark can hear them still gossiping about him as he leaves the room to put that valuable piece of paper in good stead. He opens it and reads the information twice before saving it inside his bag.

_He’s not my boyfriend…yet._

 

After accommodating Coco in his house Jinyoung plops down on the couch, looking at the dog sleeping peacefully in the dog bed that Mark so kindly gave him with the supplies. He sighs, thinking about how cute Mark looks when he’s flustered. He won’t stop the teasing only to see that rosiness adorning his handsome face.

He needs to talk about it with someone so he picks up his phone and calls his best friend.

“Hey, Jinyoung” Youngjae greets him from the other side of the call. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. It’s just that I met Mark when I was coming home from the meeting and-“

“You don’t have to lie to me” Youngjae cuts him, “I knew since the beginning that your meeting was with Mark”.

“Oh hum…” Jinyoung mutters, cursing Youngjae for knowing him too well for his own sake. “Youngjae I’m sorry”.

“Don’t worry, I understand. You could have just said it, I’m not mad. And when you left I met Jaebum”.

“Which one of your boys was this Jaebum again?”

“The bad boy. Seriously Jinyoung, I pay attention to everything you say. Why can’t you put a little more interest on me?”

“Sorry, Youngjae. I don’t have my mind where I should have it. So, this Jaebum popped out from nowhere? It’s too casual. What if he was stalking you? I don’t like this boy, Youngjae. He knew where you were at. Sounds suspicious to me”.

“God Jinyoung, chill. He didn’t know I was there, it was a coincidence. He’s not a stalker”.

“You don’t know for sure. You already called him a bad boy. I prefer Jackson”.

“He’s a good person, I know it”.

“Okay, so what happened?”

“Well, he not so subtly told me he’s interested in me”.

“OH MY GOD HE WANTS TO RAPE YOU!”

“JINYOUNG CHILL! Why are you yelling? Jaebum doesn’t want to rape me”.

“Excuse me if I worry for my best friend’s life. Okay, I trust you but I still don’t like the boy. When you’re with him keep me informed about where are you and what are you doing. ALWAYS”.

“Sure, mum. So, how was your meeting with Mark?”

“Great! He was shy and cute like always. I could get closer to him and I had to restrain myself from jumping on him. He seems pretty well equipped tho”.

“Jinyoung! I’m really afraid of you. Poor guy, he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into”.

“Hey, I’m always gentle with him. And I would treat him nicely if he would be mine”.

“If you want him to be yours control your hormones, please”.

“I can’t! He seems so innocent; I have to corrupt him. Oh wait, what if he’s like you and seems like an angel all the time but it’s actually a beast in bed? Oh God now I need him more than ever”.

“Jinyoung stop. You’re freaking me out. You really need to get laid, urgently. Since when are you so creepy?”

“It’s Mark that has this effect on me! See? He’s a devil on the inside. I really want to push him against the wall and mark him as mine”.

“Jinyoung I’m hanging up”.

“Isn’t it funny though? Mark Mark. Haha, I want to mark Mark”.

“Seriously Jinyoung, you need help”.

Jinyoung is laughing to himself when he hears a bark coming from Coco’s location. His laughter dies at it as he walks to her and pets her, hoping the dog won’t bark again.

“Jinyoung what was that?” Youngjae asks over the phone.

“Nothing!”

“It sounded like a bark”.

“It’s just my neighbor’s dog”.

“Your neighbors don’t have a dog”.

“Well, they have now. So if you hear barking it’s from their house”.

“You’re acting weird recently, Jinyoung”.

“I’ve told you! It’s Mark!”

Coco licks the palm of his hand and Jinyoung smiles at her. He’s seriously starting to rethink giving the dog to Youngjae; but he knows the younger is going to treat her better and he also has a huge desire to own a dog.

“Whatever. If you don’t need anything else I’m hanging up” Youngjae says, and Jinyoung can hear him yawning.

“Okay, good night Jae” Jinyoung says softly to him.

“Good night, Jinyoung. Don’t have so many wet dreams with Mark tonight. You’re going to scare the boy away with your creepy behavior”.

“I’ve said goodnight, Youngjae” Jinyoung repeats before hanging up.

He leaves the phone above the table and places Coco on his lap. He caresses her soft fur, admiring Mark’s work. Mark seems to care so much for the animals at the shelter. He wonders if Mark would care a lot for him too.

As if on cue, the screen of his phone lights up, notifying him that he has a new text. Taking care to not disturb Coco he reaches for it, opening the message.

He smiles widely as reads it.

_Hi Jinyoung, it’s Mark. How’s Coco doing? Is she behaving well? Does she like her new home?_

Jinyoung quickly writes a reply, and meanwhile he waits for Mark’s response he saves Mark’s number as ‘cutie Markie”.

His answer arrives a minute later. The minute Mark has spent freaking about Jinyoung answering his text and thinking an appropriate response for him.

_I’m glad Coco likes it. I would like to visit sometime to check on her. Maybe you would like to walk her together with me? I mean, since you never had a pet…_

Jinyoung chuckles and lowers his phone so Coco can look at the screen.

“Look, Coco” he says. “Your dad wants to take you for a walk with me. Do you give me permission to court him?”

Coco looks at him and barks with her tongue out. Jinyoung smiles at her and pets his head while writing a response with his other hand.

_Of course honey. Come to my house tomorrow and we’ll walk her together. Sweet dreams babe_ _:*_

Mark’s heart skips for a moment as he reads Jinyoung’s reply. The other has just called him _babe_. Babe. For some reason Mark feels embarrassed about it but incredibly happy at the same time.

He drifts to slumber wondering how it would be to actually hear Jinyoung calling him _babe_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mark Mark. Hahaha so hilarious *hides in a corner*
> 
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! This chapter was supposed to be written by my sis but unfortunately she's not feeling well so I wrote it for her. This chapter is for you, sis! I hope it will cheer you up a little since I'm not there to take care of you :c
> 
> Jinyoung is so perverted I swear. He only wants to corrupt Mark while our poor Markiepooh just wants to stop being clumsy in front of his prince. And JYP and Momo xD poor Mark!
> 
> By the way, today is Bambam's birthday! I hope he'll have a nice day today. I really want to be like Bambam when I grow up (says a person who is two years older than the person she wants to be when she grows up lol).
> 
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	8. Classmate

Yoo Kihyun is listening to what Yoongi is saying, but he is barely paying attention to him. His eyes are subtly glued to the beautiful boy sitting beside him. Everything about Choi Youngjae is fascinating to Kihyun since the first day they met.

Kihyun knows he’s not a friendly person. It’s not that he’s a bad person; he’s just picky when it comes to choose friends. Since high school Kihyun always has seen how his classmates distribute in different groups of friends: on one side the nerds, those videogames freaks that usually doesn’t talk with anyone outside their group of friends; the popular boys with their feminine version, those who have the looks but in Kihyun’s opinion lack personality; the intellectuals, who wouldn’t allow anyone to join them without doing diverse tests first to prove they have the level… and an amount more of groups that Kihyun never joined.

Kihyun’s problem is that he fits too well in all of them. He’s handsome, he’s smart and of course he has that nerdy vein. He also sings really well and is very artistic. The only group Kihyun would never fit in is with sporty people. Kihyun isn’t very fond of sports.

So, Kihyun never knew where he should be. The popular boys were too popular for him, the nerds too nerdy for him, the intellectuals too bookish, the artists too artistic… and he wouldn’t even try talking to the sporty people.

Luckily he found a person that didn’t want to fit in: his best friend Lee Minhyuk. Minhyuk was quite popular for his looks, but he preferred to be alone rather than with those guys and girls that were only quite a pretty face. Minhyuk was different of them, he was hyper 24/7 but adorable at the same time. He approached Kihyun one day and offered his friendship to him, saying that Kihyun was the only person that also seemed different and wanted to meet him. Kihyun accepted and they became inseparable since then.

But Minhyuk chose to pursue an education degree meanwhile Kihyun decided to try music and composition. They were going to share an apartment, but at college they would still be separated.

The first day of college, Kihyun was very nervous. He was staring at the people at his surroundings, trying to find a pleasant face to befriend. To his surprise, his class was very friendly and instantly bonded to face together the first year of degree. But Kihyun was still uneasy. He wanted a true friend, someone he could really trust. Someone different.

And as if the universe had listened to his prayers there he was: Choi Youngjae, entering the room already smiling brightly while wearing an oversized pink hoodie. Kihyun was attracted to him the very same moment he laid his eyes on him. The boy screamed ‘different’ from afar. Youngjae noticed his stare and smiled to him, taking the seat next to his and quickly introducing himself.

They instantly clicked together very well. They had similar ideas and tastes, and their works together were always brilliant. They spent a lot of time together, whether it was studying or just hanging out. Youngjae became a precious friend for Kihyun and vice versa.

Kihyun doesn’t really know when his feelings changed and morphed into love, but he doesn’t care either. He wasn’t surprised about it; Youngjae had a lot of qualities worthy of love, from his exterior to his interior. Youngjae was wonderful in the outside and in the inside, and Kihyun couldn’t help but worship any single thing Youngjae did. Since the beginning they both had an undeniable chemistry and the best teamwork. They always knew what the other was thinking and they knew what the other wanted with just a look. Youngjae was the best partner Kihyun could ask for.

Minhyuk would always encourage him to confess to Youngjae. And Kihyun always said that he would do it one day; but at the moment of truth no words would came out from his mouth. Youngjae always mesmerized him, so much that Kihyun would forget about everything else when they were together. His only focus would be Youngjae; there could be a fire right beside him and he wouldn’t even notice.

But he wouldn’t let any other boys come closer to Youngjae. He only allows Jinyoung to touch Youngjae since they’re best friends. But not Jackson Wang. Kihyun is very aware of Jackson’s crush and he would do anything to keep Youngjae away from him. He understands that Youngjae and Jackson are friends but he doesn’t like it. Fortunately, Kihyun and Jackson don’t meet often. Kihyun likes to think that Youngjae spends more time with him than he does with Jackson.

Three years had passed when Kihyun finally had his little piece of heaven. Japan was his paradise: just him, his music, the adorable kids and their shared bedroom. And the best of all: he had Youngjae all to himself. They were together most of the time and they even slept together in the same bed. Kihyun felt in heaven lying on the bed while holding Youngjae. And sometimes Youngjae would come out from the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist; such a blessing for Kihyun’s eyes.

They even kissed, and it was Youngjae who started it. Kihyun still remembers the sensation of Youngjae’s soft lips caressing his, with their bodies pressed closer and their desire going wild. They never talked about it and just laughed it off as if it wasn’t anything; but to Kihyun, it changed everything.

He wanted Youngjae more after that. He needed all of Youngjae. And he decided that now was the time to make Youngjae his.

But at the moment is a bit complicated because their supposed mentor also has his eyes drained to Youngjae. Yoongi barely pays attention to Kihyun, as if he wasn’t even there. Every time Kihyun wants to suggest something Yoongi just discards the idea; but he will agree at anything Youngjae says.

Well, Kihyun can understand it. It’s normal to fall for Youngjae when the latter is the personification of the word ‘perfection’. Youngjae is cute yet handsome; he’s smart but humble at the same time and has the most beautiful smile in the entire universe. Youngjae is talented and friendly. He genuinely wants everybody to be happy as he always is.

But even though Kihyun can relate to what Yoongi feels towards Youngjae, he feels possessive towards the younger. He already has one strong rival and doesn’t want two. And he definitely doesn’t want this grumpy boy near his Youngjae.

“What do you think about it, Kihyun?” Youngjae asks him, taking him out from his trance.

Kihyun can’t contain the smile that spreads through his face. It doesn’t matter how much Yoongi ignores him, because Youngjae wouldn’t let Kihyun out from anything. He would always ask for Kihyun’s opinion, and if this is negative he would search for an answer that satisfies both of them; even though Kihyun agrees with whatever Youngjae says most part of the time.

“It’s fine with me” Kihyun answers, not really knowing about what were they talking about.

“Okay, let’s start working” Yoongi commands to them.

Youngjae smiles at the two and quickly takes his pen to start composing. Kihyun gives a little glare to Yoongi before doing the same, and the latter glares back.

 

The hell from that morning is forgotten after having lunch, just the two of them. Youngjae shares with him his ideas and his fears about the project, and Kihyun assures him that everything is going to be fine. Youngjae smiles to him and gives Kihyun’s hand a little squeeze.

“Wait for me, I’m going to grab some water” Youngjae says, standing up from his chair.

Kihyun sees him walking towards one of the vending machines and inserting some coins inside. He then sees Im Jaebum, one of the tutors, approaching him.

Youngjae takes the bottle out and turns around, almost bumping into Jaebum.

“Hello sunshine” Jaebum greets him, lollipop in mouth.

“Hi there Mr. Bad boy” Youngjae says, checking him out from head to toes.

His gaze sends shivers through Jaebum’s entire body. He’s accustomed to people constantly checking him out but when Youngjae does it it’s embarrassing. But he secretly likes it; he likes the attention Youngjae pays to him and the way his eyes seem to like everything he sees.

“You’re wearing those tight pants again” Youngjae says, letting his glance rest longer at Jaebum’s lower region before staring into his eyes again. “I like it. Keep wearing them”.

Jaebum smirks, satisfied with Youngjae’s commentary. But he doesn’t have time to give the younger a corny response because suddenly Youngjae smacks his butt roughly, catching the attention of almost the entire cafeteria. Youngjae winks seductively to him before walking away, leaving Jaebum embarrassed and highly frustrated with his libido by the clouds.

Kihyun’s jaw drops. He doesn’t like what he has just seen. Again, he can understand that Jaebum likes Youngjae because honestly, who doesn’t? But what infuriates him the most is that Youngjae also seems to like Jaebum. _Fantastic_ , Kihyun thinks, _now I have three competitors_.

“Are you okay, Kihyun?” Youngjae asks him worriedly, seeing the forlorn face of Kihyun.

Kihyun shakes his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts of Youngjae with another man.

“Yes, yes I’m fine” Kihyun answers.

“Something happened?” Youngjae asks, still worried.

Kihyun frowns for a millisecond.

_Yes, you freaking slapped Im Jaebum’s butt in front of the entire cafeteria and I’m jealous as fuck._

“Nothing” Kihyun answers with a smile.

They resume eating their meals, but Kihyun’s mind can’t stop replaying the scene from before in his head. Luckily Jaebum ran away from there or Kihyun would have had his revenge already.

His body burns with jealousy. He has been almost four years trying to seduce Youngjae and then this boy comes and does it within a day. What does he have that Kihyun doesn’t? Could it be because Kihyun is a bit short?

“I didn’t know you were close to Im Jaebum” Kihyun comments casually, not meeting Youngjae’s gaze.

Youngjae titls his head and looks at him curiously.

“What do you mean?” Youngjae asks him.

“That scene from before”, Kihyun answers with a dark tome.

Youngjae realizes then that Kihyun must have witnessed his encounter with Jaebum, and now he feels a bit regretful about it. But Jaebum’s ass felt so good under his palm.

“Are you jealous, Kihyunie?” Youngjae asks cutely, trying to downplay the issue.

Kihyun bites his lip, getting nervous at the thought of Youngjae finding out about his feelings.

He’s about to answer that _of course I’m not_ when Jaebum appears at the cafeteria again, giving Youngjae a dirty glance that of course Youngjae catches, making Kihyun’s nerves explode from jealousy.

“Maybe I am” Kihyun answers, forgetting his previous anxiety and taking all the confidence he can, “you keep going anywhere seducing other boys but you barely spare me a glance anymore”.

He pouts cutely at Youngjae, whose heart melts at the sight. Kihyun usually doesn’t act cute unless he wants something from someone; well, to Youngjae he’s cute 24/7, he just likes to pretend he’s a tough guy.

“Oh, is my Kihyunie jealous because I flirt with other men?” Youngjae answers playfully. “I’m sorry baby Hyunie, that wasn’t my intention. What can I do for you to forgive me?”

Youngjae places his elbows on the table and rests his head between his hands, waiting while grinning for Kihyun’s answer. Kihyun is currently having a heart attack because of that ‘baby Hyunie’ that escaped past his beloved’s lips.

“Would you have dinner with me tonight?” Kihyun asks, glancing slightly to Jaebum who is staring at them curiously. “Just you and me”.

Youngjae’s smile only gets wider at that. He reaches for Kihyun’s hand and intertwines their fingers.

“Of course. Your food is the best!”

Kihyun smiles back before looking at Jaebum again. The latter is frowning at them, a look of pure anger on his face. Kihyun smirks slightly, glad that his revenge came out perfectly.

 

“I’ll see you later, Kihyun!” Youngjae exclaims while hugging him. “I need to look decent for my date with Kihyunie”.

“Honestly, Youngjae, you look gorgeous with anything” Kihyun answers, hugging Youngjae back.

“You’re so kind, Kihyun. But I want to look good for you, so see you later!”

After a few moments of Youngjae extending the hug he walks away from him with a smile. Kihyun needs to get home as fast as possible to shower, put his best clothes on and make the tastiest dinner for them. He hopes Minhyuk will be home so he can help him setting the table.

He’s about to go when he sees a boy with a bicycle stopping right in front of Youngjae. Youngjae waves at him and they exchange some words; then the boy motions with his head to Youngjae to hop on, and Youngjae jumps excitedly before climbing behind him on the bicycle. The boy smiles and starts pedaling with Youngjae embracing him tightly from behind.

Kihyun sighs in frustration. Today he has just discovered that he has two more rivals in the battle for Youngjae’s heart and he’s beyond pissed off. But he’s not going to back off. Youngjae is worth the fight.

Even if he has to beat first Jackson Wang, Min Yoongi, Im Jaebum and bicycle boy to have him.

 

“But it’s this a date or not?” Minhyuk asks, setting the table for Kihyun and Youngjae.

“Youngjae called it a date so it is” Kihyun answers, still cooking.

“But you have had dinner together before. What’s the difference this time?”

“I’ve told you. Youngjae called it a date. Those times before wasn’t dates. They were… just two friends having dinner together”.

“Kihyun”, Minhyuk says seriously as he finishes with his duty, “it doesn’t make a difference from before. It’s in your hands to make it”.

“What do you mean?” Kihyun asks curiously as he turns off the stove.

“Kiss him” Minhyuk simply answers.

“We have kissed before and that didn’t change anything”.

“Then kiss him more passionately and then confess”.

Kihyun wonders about it for a moment. Well, he was actually thinking about kissing Youngjae again, sober this time, so Youngjae will understand that he meant it when he kissed him that night. But then he realizes he’s getting advice from someone who is practically single since birth.

“Why are you talking as if you were an expert about love?” Kihyun asks him. “You’re still single”.

“For the moment”.

“You’re going to die alone”.

“You’re so mean!” Minhyuk complains, hitting Kihyun with a towel.

Kihyun rubs the spot Minhyuk has damaged and glares at him. Minhyuk sticks his tongue out to him as the bell rings.

“Always so punctual” Kihyun says with a proud smile, walking to open the door. “You could learn from him”.

Minhyuk glares at him. He watches Kihyun and Youngjae greeting each other with a hug, and he rolls his eyes at how oblivious they are to each other’s feelings. Minhyuk can smell the love in the air.

Kihyun spends a great five minutes just there complimenting Youngjae, with Youngjae complimenting back. Minhyuk feels like puking from all the sweetness displayed in front of him. At that moment his eyes fall on a salt shaker dangerously close to the meal Kihyun has prepared so delicately.

_What a tasty meal_ , Minhyuk thinks; _it would be a pity if someone would ruin it._

Minhyuk smirks and makes sure that Kihyun isn’t looking before reaching for the salt, pouring a great amount of it on Kihyun’s dish.

Suddenly Kihyun turns back and Minhyuk drops the salt shaker, making it fall on the counter by his side.

“What have you done?” Kihyun asks rushing to clean the mess Minhyuk has just created. “These are 7 years of bad luck. You’re going to stay single forever”.

Minhyuk glares at him again, but laughs evilly internally, thinking about his revenge.

“Poor Minhyuk” Youngjae says, approaching Minhyuk to squeeze his shoulder. “He’s really handsome. I’m sure he’ll find a partner soon”.

Minhyuk smiles. He really wants Kihyun to date Youngjae to keep the younger with them. Youngjae is so nice and sweet; Minhyuk works with Jinyoung at the school but he can assure that both friends are different from each other. Jinyoung is gentle but is quieter meanwhile Youngjae is cheerful and adorable.

Unfortunately, neither of them are Minhyuk’s type.

“Thank you, Youngjae” Minhyuk says. “You should learn from him how to be nicer”.

“Don’t you have something else to do?” Kihyun asks him, pushing him away from Youngjae.

“I’m single, remember? So I think I’m just gonna sit on the couch and watch some movie”.

Kihyun glares intensely at him. Youngjae notices the tension between them and decides to intervene to save Minhyuk’s life.

“Minhyukkie” Youngjae says cutely, “Kihyun and I want to have a date. Could you give us some privacy, please?”

Kihyun stares at Youngjae in shock. Minhyuk smiles, knowing that Youngjae isn’t playing games with Kihyun now. He wants a real date with his best friend, so just for that he’s going to give in this time.

“Sure. I’ve already eaten something earlier so have fun, guys” he says, walking towards his room. “But don’t be too loud, please!”

A cushion flies through the air towards Minhyuk’s face, but luckily he closes the door before it could make impact. Youngjae smiles at how cute Kihyun looks so flustered.

“Well, forgive him. You know how he is” Kihyun mutters with a nervous smile. “Should we eat now?”

“Yes, please!” Youngjae exclaims, approaching Kihyun to give him a light peck on his cheek. “I’m so hungry!”

Kihyun smiles at him and then serves their dinner. Youngjae waits patiently for his meal, smiling cutely to Kihyun. When he finishes he takes a seat right in front of Youngjae so he can see all his reactions.

Youngjae inhales the suggestive aroma of the meal before him. It smells so tasty and looks so delightful; Youngjae can’t wait to taste it. One of the things that made Youngjae fall for Kihyun was his excellent cooking skills. Youngjae swears he hasn’t eaten any more delicious food than Kihyun’s.

Kihyun waits patiently for Youngjae to take the first bite. Youngjae smiles to him before taking the spoon into his mouth, savoring its content. He smiles pleased with the taste he gets.

“This is so delicious, Kihyunie” Youngjae says, smiling widely. “You’re the best!”

“Thank you, Youngjae. I only make the best for you”.

Kihyun smiles seductively to him and Youngjae laughs, but his heart is beating like crazy.

Youngjae continues eating happily and Kihyun observes him for a moment before taking a spoon for himself.

As soon as the food touches his tongue he spits it out. He coughs, worrying Youngjae who quickly offers water and gives him soft pats on the back.

“What the fuck” Kihyun mutters between coughs. “This is so salty! Youngjae, why haven’t you told me anything?”

“Mine wasn’t salty” Youngjae answers. He grabs his own spoon and offers Kihyun a taste of his meal. “Open your mouth, please!” Youngjae demands cutely.

Kihyun smiles before complying. As Youngjae said, his meal isn’t salty. Kihyun takes another spoon of his food, but it still tastes bad.

“Why is mine different?” Kihyun asks himself.

Youngjae stares at him curious. Then Kihyun remembers Minhyuk and his incident with the salt shaker and clenches his fists.

“That brat” Kihyun mutters. “Minhyuk ruined my food”.

“Why would Minhyuk want to ruin your meal?” Youngjae asks. “Minhyuk is a nice boy. I’m sure it was an accident”.

“An accident my ass. He knew what he was doing”.

“Don’t be mad, Kihyunie” Youngjae says, caressing Kihyun’s pink hair.

“I’m not mad, I just…” Kihyun mutters with a sigh. “I just wanted it to be perfect for us”.

“But Kihyun, it is perfect for us. I’m enjoying this date so much!”

Kihyun stares at him and Youngjae gives him his best smile, making Kihyun smile back too.

“Okay then” Kihyun says, his mood already lifted up. “You’ll have to feed me since I can’t eat my meal”.

“Of course” Youngjae says, dragging his chair next to Kihyun. “Open your mouth, baby Hyunie”.

 

As much as Kihyun insists for Youngjae to spend the night as his house the latter refuses, saying that he has already bothered enough. Kihyun laughs at him, wondering how could Youngjae possibly be a bother for someone. But Youngjae is still stubborn about coming back home, since Yugyeom arrived today and he hasn’t seen the other in the entire summer.

“I want to spend some time with him” Youngjae says. “You know the boy is like my younger brother. I have to take care of him”.

Kihyun nods. _As long as he keeps being your younger brother and nothing else is fine with me_ , Kihyun thinks. Kihyun has met Yugyeom a few times when he and Youngjae crashed at his place. Yugyeom is a nice guy, too tall for his like but kind nevertheless. But sometimes Yugyeom gets a little bit touchy with Youngjae becoming Jackson 2.0 and Kihyun doesn’t like it. Maybe Youngjae doesn’t think about Yugyeom as more than just a friend but there’s a high chance Yugyeom does.

“Let me accompany you at least” Kihyun says.

“Don’t worry about that, I’m grown enough to take care of myself. And I don’t want to bother you more. Thank you for everything, Kihyun. See you tomorrow!”

Kihyun sees Youngjae walking away while waving at him. He can’t just let the other go like that. Suddenly Minhyuk’s voice echoes in his mind.

_Kiss him_.

His body reacts before his mind can process what’s going on and runs towards Youngjae.

“Wait, Youngjae!” he calls the other.

Youngjae turns around and looks at him curious. Kihyun finally reaches him and takes him by the shoulders. Before Youngjae can say anything Kihyun closes his eyes and presses his lips against Youngjae’s. At first Youngjae doesn’t react, too shocked to do anything. But then he smiles into the kiss and kisses Kihyun back.

When they separate Kihyun caresses Youngjae’s cheek while the latter smiles at him lovingly.

“Call me when you get home” Kihyun whispers to him.

Youngjae nods adorably and then pecks Kihyun’s cheek, leaving it redder than before.

“Good night, Kihyunie” Youngjae says while walking away, smiling to him.

Kihyun only waves, as his body has decided to stop working and he feels unable to walk back to his house.

 

On his way home, Youngjae can’t stop smiling and jumping as he walks towards his house. He was expecting it to be amazing but the end was just marvelous. In only one day he got to touch Jaebum’s butt and embarrass him; he got a ride home by Changkyun and a wonderful dinner with Kihyun that ended with a blissful kiss.

He needs to speak with Jinyoung about it. He takes his phone out and is searching for his number when by the corner of his eye he sees Jinyoung’s figure at the other side of the street. But when he raises his head and looks at it there’s no one there.

Youngjae blinks twice before placing his phone again inside his pocket.

_I spend so much time with Jinyoung I’m starting to see him everywhere_ , Youngjae thinks before resuming his journey back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugyeom has just been brotherzoned and he hasn't even appeared yet lol  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! Sad news, I'm a bit busy with college right now and I'm about to start my exams period soon, so it will affect the regular updates. Luckily my sister is here to help me, so I hope you'll still get updates in time, even if they aren't from me^^  
> It seems like the battle for Youngjae's heart is about to start... who is your favorite candidate for the moment? I can't chose, they're all so cute with Youngjae *-*  
> And Jinyoung where were you going in the middle of the night alone? Or weren't you alone at all?  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	9. The wall

In the morning, Jinyoung happily goes to the school with Minhyuk. He is the happy virus of all the teachers, just like Youngjae; always bringing happiness everywhere. They met the first time he entered the school. Jinyoung was searching for his spot when a white haired boy almost took him ahead. 

“Hey, are you okay?” The other boy snapped out of his daze state and smiled wildly. Just like Youngjae, Jinyoung thought.

“Y-yeah, I’m sorry, I didn't see you. My name is Lee Minhyuk, nice to meet you” the said guy took Jinyoung's hand and shaked it hard, taking Jinyoung by surprise.

“No need to apologize, I’m Park Jinyoung, nice to meet you too and, do you know a place where I can leave this?” 

“Ah, yes, my place is over there, next to it is a empty space, you can leave it there. Are you the new teacher, by the way?” he asked while helping Jinyoung move his things to his new place. 

“Yes, It's my first day too, and thank you for helping me, you are a very nice person” Jinyoung smiled fondly to him. 

After that, they became good friends with a lot of good teamwork between them. The more he passed time with him, the most he resembles to Youngjae; always bringing a smile and lightening the atmosphere. During the summer, when Youngjae wasn’t with him, he spend a lot of time with him, and with Jackson too, but not at the same time or the same amount of time. Hanging out with Minhyuk is like hanging out with Youngjae, and he likes it the most. 

Jinyoung sees him taking care of the kids and approaches him. He is sure Minhyuk knows something new about Youngjae and Kihyun; or if he doesn’t know about what happened in the summer, he’s going to tell him. 

“Hi Jinyoung, how is your morning going?” A smile greets him as always; something he doesn’t want to disappear. 

“Hi Min, it’s going fine, and yours? Seems like you have work to do” He turns to the kid and smiles tenderly to him, making him smile in return. “Hello baby boy, are you okay?” The kid nods his little head and goes with the rest of the kids to play with them.

“Yeah, working with them is the most satisfactory thing in the world” He simply answers with his smile even wider, blinding Jinyoung in the process. They sit on the bench where they can see the kids and talk quietly. 

“Jinyoung, you know about what happened in their trip to Japan, don’t you?”   
Of course he knows; since the day Youngjae arrived. Things like this are very usual between them: every time Kihyun and Youngjae do something they talk about it and express their opinions. 

“Of course. He showed me a photo of them at one party and he had a hickey and he told me about everything.” 

“I saw it in his neck. Kihyun is the worst if we talk about hiding things, the same as feelings. He is so obvious when they hang out in our house.”

“Kihyun loves him so much, but there are others that love him too.”   
Minhyuk nods and they continue talking about Youngjae and Kihyun when they hear a kid crying. Minhyuk is the first to go to know what happens to him. The kid was playing with the other when he fell down to the ground. Minhyuk and Jinyoung take the kid to the nursery to take care of a little wound at the knee. 

After that, the morning goes all right; with no more incidents with the kids. Jinyoung is thinking about what he will do after classes when an idea appears in his mind. He smiles evilly thinking about Mark: he wants to corrupt him in any way. He looks so pure that he has to contain his desires in front of him, like he did when he was taking Coco to his house. Jinyoung says goodbye to Minhyuk and goes to his car and drives to his house.

Jinyoung opens the door and Coco barks to greet him. Every time Jinyoung sees Coco he remembers Mark, how he gave Coco to him and prepared that enormous basket only for him. Jinyoung takes Coco in his embrance and places her on the couch before petting her little head.

“Hi Coco, did you miss me today?” He asks happily to Coco who barks in response and lies down in Jinyoung’s thighs. He pets her; her fur soft under his touch thanks to the products Mark prepared for him. He looks at Coco, and she looks back to him.

“Coco, do you miss Mark?” She barks and shakes her little tail happily. “Do you want to see him?” She barks another time and Jinyoung takes his phone out to dial Mark’s number. After two rings, the other answers.

“Hi Jinyoung, how are you?” Jinyoung realizes then that he missed that voice.

“Hi pretty, I’m fine, and you?” He knows that Mark is blushing because of the nickname.

“I’m fine too. Why did you call me? Something happens with Coco?” He sounds worried.

“Coco is fine, but she misses you. I think that if you come to visit her in my house she will be very happy to see you”.  
And I will see your beautiful face one more time, he thinks.

“Of course, I will be going in 5 minutes.”

“Okay, well, see you soon”

“Bye Jinyoung”.  
Mark sounds happy, and of course he is: he is going to Jinyoung’s house to see Coco and Jinyoung, so he has to be presentable for him. Mark takes off his apron and is going out of the shelter when Momo sees him. 

“Mark, where are you going?” He blushes immediately and Momo smirks in response. She doesn’t have to ask, she knows where exactly he is going; but she likes to embarrass Mark. 

“W-with a client, he asked me to go to his house because he has some problems with his pet”. His nervousness is visible 10 kilometres far away.

“The 'he’ is Jinyoung, right?” Mark blushes and that action is the proof Momo needs to know that she’s right. 

“Okay, he's Jinyoung, but we aren't going on a date, it’s only for Coco” He tries to calm himself while talking with Momo but fails. Momo smiles to him, making him more nervous than before.

“You two are just too cute.” Mark is going to reply that they're not but Momo speaks again. “Go with him, I’ll talk to the boss about you, don't worry” she smiles to Mark and he goes to Jinyoung's house; not before going to his house to get ready for Jinyoung. 

Jinyoung is in his room, deciding what he is going to wear for Mark. He should wear something comfortable, because he is in his house after all, but not a tracksuit. He decides to wear a plain white T-shirt with a plaid shirt, ripped jeans and black slippers. When he is styling his hair the doorbell rings and Coco barks, knowing who is behind the door. Jinyoung finishes styling his hair and goes to open the door. 

When he opens the door, Mark is standing there more handsome yet beautiful than ever: he’s wearing a black T-shirt with a denim jacket, black ripped jeans and black sneakers and his blonde hair combed up. The outfit is normal, but in him looks really good; it suits him perfectly.

Mark is in shock. He is like a prince, so handsome, is the only thing that he can think of. He only gets out of his shock when Coco barks. Mark kneels down to catch Coco and pets her. 

“Hi Coco, how are you? Very good I think. He’s taking good care of you, isn’t he?” Coco barks in response and shakes her tail. Jinyoung lets a small laugh escape his lips at Mark’s actions.  
I really need to corrupt him, he’s so pure and cut- wait. Jinyoung control yourself.

“Hello Mark, and yes, I’m taking good care of her. She is the little princess of this castle”   
And you are the other princess here, Jinyoung thinks, looking another time from head to toes at Mark. “You can come in and sit on the couch, you will be more comfortable and Coco too.” He smiles and pets Coco too, placing his hand above Mark’s. Jinyoung immediately feels that electric shock that he felt before. Mark freezes for an instant before coming inside of Jinyoung’s house and sitting on the couch with Coco still in his embrace.

“Mark, do you want something to eat or drink?”Jinyoung asks to Mark who is playing with Coco. He nods and he is about to stand up, but Jinyoung’s hands on his shoulder force him to sit down another time.”You don’t have to go for it, I will give it to you. What do you want?”

 

“Whatever you want to give me.”   
Jinyoung smirks thinking another time about ways to corrupt him. He goes to the kitchen while Mark is in the living room. At that moment Mark realizes what happened before and he blushes hard. He’s not going to admit it, but he likes when Jinyoung is dominant over him. Coco looks at him with questioning eyes while tilting her head to the side. Mark shakes his head to forgot the nasty thoughts in his mind and focuses on Coco. 

Two minutes later Jinyoung arrives with a trail with some food and two cups of tea. The living room smells so nicely that Coco stops playing with Mark and looks to where the smells’ origin is.

“Wow Jinyoung, this smells so nice!” He looks into Jinyoung’s eyes and when he realizes that he is staring at Jinyoung he hides himself behind the cushion. Jinyoung laughs while covering his mouth behind his hand at how cute the elder is. 

“You don’t have to hide everywhere, I don’t bite”.  
Yet.   
Oh god, he needs to calm his inner Jinyoung; but seeing Mark in that clothes and that hair styler drives him insane. He wants to take him in the couch and make Mark his, but he doesn’t want to scare Mark, so he has to control himself more than ever. 

On the other hand, Mark relaxes himself and stops hiding to take a cup in his hands and place it in the table Jinyoung has. Coco is sleeping on his lap so he can talk to Jinyoung about other things.

Mark is about to talk when Jinyoung sits beside him and looks at him intensely. Mark is scared and tries to hide, but Jinyoung smiles to him and he relaxes immediately. Jinyoung takes his cup and places it besides Mark's. 

“How is Coco doing? Is she obeying you?” Mark asks while petting Coco’s fur. It smells like the shampoo he gave to Jinyoung with the basket. He smiles and he looks at Jinyoung, who is smiling to him.

“Yes, she does everything I tell her. You trained her well Mark, good job. By the way, are you okay without her?” His tone is calming and soft, music to Mark's ears. To Mark, the only presence of Jinyoung calms him, and makes him nervous at the same time. It’s something strange, but he likes it the most. Thanks to those feelings, Mark is starting to believe in love again.

“I miss her sometimes, but then I remember that she is in good hands” Mark smiles radiantly to Jinyoung, and he mirrors the other.

They continue talking about Coco and how was the day, Jinyoung making Mark laugh and blush. They doesn't notice that the night came. 

“Oh my god!! It’s late already. I should be going home” Mark is about to stand up and place Coco in the couch when Jinyoung places his hand in Mark's wrist, surprising him. 

“Why don't you stay here to have dinner together and to walk Coco too?” Jinyoung asks with his eyes shining. He looks like a real prince right now, Mark thinks. Of course he wants to stay, all the night if he cans.

“Yes, of course. Everything you want” Mark shuts up immediately, blushing hard and hiding another time behind the cushion.   
Oh my god, why did I had to say that. I'm so embarrassed.   
Jinyoung laughs at Mark's shy side and his cuteness and, again, he has to control his evil side.

“The dinner and the walk count as a date” Jinyoung winks to Mark and goes to the kitchen, leaving Mark blushing hard on his couch. The thought of having Mark all the afternoon and the night only for himself makes his day more beautiful. 

Mark is at the couch playing with Coco when the smell of pizza inundates his nostrils. His instinct makes him sneak into the kitchen, where Jinyoung is making a dessert with some fruits and chocolate in a cake.   
I will always remember him like this, so concentrate with the dinner; looking so gorgeous as always. 

Jinyoung notices Mark's presence when he is going to place the cake in the fridge. Mark is standing at the door frame, half hiding half showing, making cute faces when he thinks Jinyoung doesn't see him. Why is he so pure?? I only want to make him mine... but I have to wait, I don't want to scare him. Jinyoung approaches Mark when he isn’t looking and surprises him, placing a bit of chocolate on his cheek. Mark's shocked face makes Jinyoung laugh without covering his mouth. 

“Mark, you're so cute” Jinyoung is still laughing while Mark is touching where the chocolate is, cleaning his cheek. He takes it all out and licks his fingers. Jinyoung sees the whole scene and he can't avoid imagining Mark doing the same, but with his liquids instead of the chocolate. Jinyoung senses his jeans tightening at his lower region. For God’s sake he needs to stop himself.

The dinner is almost done, so Mark decides to set the table. He places the fork and the teaspoon for the dessert and their cutleries together. Jinyoung places the pizza at the center of the table and some tea in a pitcher. They sit in their chairs and Mark places a bowl full of Coco's food at the ground next to them.

They eat in a comfortable silence, only talking trivial things and feeding Coco sometimes. After all, Coco is the connection between them. Jinyoung has to thank Youngjae after he’ll give him Coco. Since Youngjae loves animals but is allergic to cat’s fur, a dog is a good choice for him. Of course he is going to miss Coco, but he also knows she will be in good hands and he will see her often. 

They finish the dinner and Jinyoung cleans the dishes while Mark prepares Coco for the walk. When Jinyoung goes out the scene of Mark with Coco resembles to his future husband and their adopted daughter. He smiles and goes next to Mark.

“Mark, Coco, are you ready for the night walk?” Coco barks and Mark puts his hands up, embarrassed one more time; but making Jinyoung laugh so hard is one of the most satisfactory things in the world. 

When they go out, the breeze of the late summer hits their faces. It’s so comforting for them, that summer is hotter than the last year, so a little bit of cold goes very well. Coco walks happily while Mark and Jinyoung enjoy each other’s presence. 

When they turn the corner, Jinyoung sees Youngjae walking, and instinctively takes Mark’s wrist and hides himself and Mark in the dark side against a wall, with Mark under him. Mark is in shock, he has Jinyoung so close to him. Jinyoung looks into Mark’s eyes. He can’t contain his instincts so he closes the distance between them, but without touching his lips. 

Mark is having a mental breakdown, Jinyoung is so close to him, with that evil look in his face. He never is going to admit it, but he likes it. Jinyoung moves his right hand close to Mark’s lower region while his left hand grabs his hair and pulls from it roughly. Mark’s eyes opens fully. OH MY GOD!! why is his hand so close and his mouth and the other hand , oh God, I like it but, omg, are the only things Mark can think of.

 

Jinyoung smirks while his hand moves closer to Mark's cock. His jeans are so tight because of the arousal he is having. Jinyoung's lower region too, making Mark go all shy and blushing hard, and making others parts of him go hard too. He loves it, this moment is what he dreamed before, with Mark in that way because of him. 

Coco barks and Jinyoung comes back to reality by it. He moves two steps back, taking some distance between them. Mark goes out of his shock state, feeling pain in his lower region. What the fuck has just happen?? He was so close to me… Oh my god, it’s so embarrassing Mark thinks, feeling his cheeks burning. Jinyoung is trying to calm himself first. He lose his control that time, he can’t permit it once again. 

When he is sure that he isn’t going to do the same and approaches Mark, who is still in the wall. Jinyoung isn’t sure if he scared Mark with his behaviour, but when he sees that Mark is going to him, he smiles and relaxes himself more. 

“Sorry about what happened before, I saw someone I don’t want to see so.” Jinyoung scratches behind his neck nervously, waiting for Mark to answer. 

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s okay, I understand” Jinyoung knows for sure that Mark is nervous, his tone is shaking, just like him, and his cheeks just confirms it. Jinyoung likes it, just like Mark is now and, well, like before too, but in his sane sense he likes Mark like that: cute.

“We should be going home, it’s late” Jinyoung says to Mark and Coco. She barks and Mark nods his head. “Let’s go” and they go to Jinyoung’s house. The walk towards his house is in absolutely silence, but comfortable. Of course the two of them are remembering what happened in that wall. It will only mean one thing: they like each other, in any way. But the shyness of Mark in that moment and the interruption of Coco made them stop what they were going to do, and none of them was going to regret it later.

They arrive to Jinyoung’s door, so Mark pokes his shoulder and he looks into his eyes. They stay like that for minutes, they don’t know how many time they stay like that until Jinyoung cleares his throat.

“Mark, you should be going home, it's really late.” Jinyoung worries about Mark going alone to his house, but Coco is exhausted and his watch marks 2:00 AM. “Sorry for not going with you, Coco is tired and I don't want her to fall ill”

“Oh, don't worry, I'm okay and she needs to rest so it's okay. Thank you for the day, I really enjoyed it” Mark smiles and blushes at the same time. Too much pure. And it's better not letting him sleep in my house tonight, for his sake. 

“I hope we will meet again, I really had a good time with you. Thank you.” Mark is blushing again, and Jinyoung laughs. He takes Coco in his arms. “I won't keep you more, bye Mark, until the next time” he winks to Mark and he smiles, showing his canines. He looks like a little puppy, like Coco, how cute.

“Bye Jinyoung, until the next time, and bye little princess, sleep well and obey Jinyoung, okay?” Coco snores and Mark takes that as a yes. “Sleep well too Jinyoung, see you soon” Mark looks to Jinyoung's eyes one more time before he walks away, to his house. Jinyoung scans Mark's back and he likes the views. 

Mark turns just in time to see Jinyoung disappear through the door. He walks all the way home smiling and blushing sometimes remembering all the day. It was just perfect: he, Jinyoung and Coco. He imagines a family like that and he likes that idea. 

Mark is half dreaming when his phone rings. He looks at the screen and answers.

“Jae, why the fuck are you calling me at this hours?” He isn't angry at him, but he likes to make the other suffer.

“Sorry, but you didn’t answer any call, what were you doing to not take the phone in the whole day?” Mark's question backfires him. Thank God Jaebum isn't by his side, otherwise he could see his red face. 

“I was working all the afternoon and when I got home I was sleeping”. 

“Yeah, whatever, I h-have something to tell you” Jaebum’s voice shakes and it catches Mark's attention. When Jaebum has something embarrassing to say, he is a ball of nervousness.

“What is it? Something about your new crush?” Of course, he has to make fun of Jaebum; in fact, it's one of Mark's favourites hobbies. 

“Yes, he… he slapped my butt in front of everyone” One minute of silence pass and Jaebum is going to speak when he hears Mark laughing his ass off. Jaebum rolls his eyes, how could he not know what his best friend was going to do? Of course he was going to laugh at him, but he knows that he cares about him anyways.

“He did what? Puahahaha. Oh my God Jaebum, you being slapped by someone. That doesn’t suit you” Mark is still laughing.   
He should thanks the Gods for not be next to me. The next time I see him, I’m going to kill him. Mark, watch your back, for your own sake. Jaebum is pissed off, but the sounds of traffic through Mark's phone is more interesting.

“Mark, aren’t you at home?” Mark's laugh falls in silence. That makes Jaebum get more suspicious. “Mark, where are you?” Jaebum senses that Mark is nervous.

“All right, I was the entire day with my crush.” Now is time for Jaebum to make fun of Mark. He smirks to himself. Now it's my time of vengeance. 

“So… you had fun all the day, and he is the reason why you didn't answer my calls. Okay okay, you have to pay me for that.” 

“Are you sure? I can tell your crush to pay you in another form” Mark's laugh echoes through Jaebum's phone. He is blushing, a strange sign in him. Really, I'm going to kill him. “Jaebum, you are really funny, that's why I love you” he is still laughing, but he really cares about him, and he is really happy to see that he has a new hope. 

“Shut up Mark. Anyways, can we hang out tomorrow? So you can tell me everything” Mark knows that Jaebum is smiling and he smiles too.

“Of course, at the same café? At 8:00 PM?” Jaebum hums in response. “So you can tell me how you feel towards your slapper” Mark laughs again and this time Jaebum hangs off. 

Mark enters in his house laughing hard. Teasing Jaebum is really funny, he could do it the whole day without stopping. Mark goes to his bed and recalls all the events of the day. So, with a small boner and Jinyoung's actions he is ready to sleep, or to try at least.


	10. Invitations

Youngjae rolls on the bed until the first rays of sunshine fall onto his face. He smiles, remembering the glorious day he had yesterday. He wonders if today it’ll be another blissful day.

He gets up and gets ready to go to college. His smile only gets wider at the thought of seeing Kihyun and Jaebum again. He likes both of them so much, just as he likes Jackson and Changkyun. He doesn’t really know what he’s going to do with the four of them but for the moment he’s going to enjoy whatever life throws to him.

He goes to the kitchen and starts to make breakfast for him and Yugyeom. He makes some pancakes, decorating them with syrup and whipped cream making a smiley face on them. He then pours some juice on two glasses.

He’s filling his own glass when he feels arms circling his body and warmth in his back. He smiles as Yugyeom nuzzles his face in the back of his neck.

“Good morning Gyeomie” Youngjae greets the younger.

“Good morning Youngjae” Yugyeom greets back, “I’ve missed you”.

“You said that yesterday” Youngjae says, moving to retrieve the juice inside the fridge with Yugyeom still latched on his back.

“I know. But I missed you and your smiley pancakes”.

Youngjae grins at that, turning around to give the younger a peck on the cheek before freeing himself from his embrace, grabbing the two glasses and placing them on the table besides the pancakes. Yugyeom is frozen on the spot; he has received kisses from Youngjae before, but somehow now it feels different and he can’t help but blush.

“They’re going to get cold” Youngjae warns him, still smiling.

Yugyeom collects himself and sits on the table in front of Youngjae. He smiles upon seeing the cute happy faces on the pancakes.

“I’ll be forever thankful for your smiley pancakes” Yugyeom says, grabbing his phone to take a picture of them.

“Then I’ll continue making them just to make you happy” Youngjae says, feeding the younger with his own fork.

Yugyeom smiles happily to him before accepting the food.

“Delicious” Yugyeom says.

Youngjae smiles to him and then takes the next bite for himself.

_You’re so cute, Youngjae_ , Yugyeom thinks as he watches the elder eating adorably. Youngjae notices him and grins, his upper lip covered by whipped cream making it seem as if he had a moustache. Yugyeom giggles and Youngjae follows. _I like you so much, Youngjae. Don’t ever change._

 

“Good morning, my precious Youngjae~” Jinyoung singsongs through the phone.

“Uh, someone is in a good mood this morning” Youngjae says.

“Well, how would you be if you’d have had a date with the man of your dreams yesterday?”

“I can relate” Youngjae answers, thinking about his date with Kihyun. “So, did you have a date with Mark?”

“Yes. He came to my house for dinner and it was wonderful”.

“Please, tell me he’s fine”.

“Of course he is. I restrained myself from jumping him. It was hard, especially when he was so close to me”.

“OMG! Jinyoung, what did you do to him?”

“Nothing, I promise! Maybe I scared him a bit but he seemed okay with everything I did”.

“Jinyoung, please don’t scare him away! I want you to be happy”.

“Aw, you’re so cute. But don’t worry, I have everything under control. I want this to work. This isn’t just physical attraction… I like everything about him, not just his innocent eyes and his beautiful smile. I like how shy he gets and how cute he is when it happens. I also like how gentle he is and how he treats everything with so much care… As I’ve said, he’s the man of my dreams”.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing you saying all this. I’m so, so happy for you, Jinyoung! You sound so in love with the boy! I ship it! When am I going to meet this guy?”

“Uh, I don’t know. We’re still getting to know each other…”

“Why don’t you invite him to my birthday party?”

“That birthday party we haven’t spoken about yet? Your birthday is next weekend”.

“I know, okay? I wanted to talk to you about it but I haven’t had time”.

“I understand. Being courted by… five or six boys at the same time require all your attention”.

“You’re exaggerating”.

“Am I, Choi Youngjae?” Youngjae rolls his eyes at his best friend through the phone. “Let’s see… we have Jackson, Kihyun, bicycle boy, bad boy, your tutor, your housemate…”

“What has Yugyeom to do with all this?”

“Oh please, you live with the boy. It’s impossible you haven’t noticed his little crush on you; crush that I totally disapprove, by the way”.

“He doesn’t have a crush on me. You’re imagining things. And why do you hate him so much? He’s a sweet boy”.

“It’s not that I hate him; there’s something about his face that pisses me off”.

“It’s his height what pisses you off”.

“Whatever. I’m sure he has a puppy crush on you or something like that. He looks at you as if you were sacred and is always clinging to you like a bear”.

“I like hugs, you know that”.

“He’s just closeted, but I’m sure his crush on you is real. I still prefer Jackson or Kihyun tho”.

“Can we stop talking about crushes, please? Let’s talk about the party”.

“Right. Well, luckily for you, your wild and sexy lover boy has already looked for a decent club to go that day. He told me about it and we both agree it’s the best option. It’s huge but the service and music are good and the drinks are cheap but also nice. You should thank us for being amazing friends”.

“Thank you so much, Jinyoung! I really appreciate it”.

“I know okay? But you should call Jackson. He wants you to personally invite him to go”.

“I was thinking about asking him to have dinner at my house. I want to spend more time with him since yesterday I barely had time to talk with him”.

“I know, I know. Too many boys begging for your attention. Well, call him. I’ll text you all the info about the place later so you can take a look at it. What hour do you think is appropriate?”

“How about 11PM? We can go Friday night so we can celebrate together at midnight”.

“That’s a great idea! I’ll beat everyone at being first to congratulate you though. Wait, who is ‘everyone’ actually?”

“Well, you and I of course. You’re also free to invite Mark if you want. Then we have Jackson and Jooheon, Kihyun and Minhyuk, Yugyeom and his friend Jungkook… and then Changkyun who can bring a friend if he wants and same for Jaebum. Then I’ll probably invite some of my classmates and Yoongi too”.

“Wait, wait, wait… are you for real? I mean… do you think it’s a good idea to put all the boys you’re crushing on together in one place? They’ll be constantly fighting to get your attention… besides, Jackson and Kihyun barely can stand each other; what makes you think they’ll be okay with Changkyun or Jaebum?”

“Right. Yesterday Kihyun was upset about me and Jaebum… but I really want them there, Jinyoung! And there’ll be more people. I’m sure they’ll be fine. Pleaseee!”

Jinyoung sighs. Even over the phone Youngjae is the cutest. He can totally picture the begging face of the younger with his puppy eyes and his pouty lips waiting for Jinyoung’s approval; which the latter obviously provides.

“Okay. Then I shouldn’t invite Mark to the party. You’ll need my help trying to stop your boys from killing each other”.

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad”.

“Whatever. Listen, I have to go with the kids but I’ll call you later so we can discuss about it more. Have a nice day, Youngjae”.

“You too, Jinyoungie!”

Youngjae puts the phone back in his pocket and stops walking, seeing that the traffic light is red. He’s waiting for it to become green when he hears the engine of a motorcycle in front of him.

“Hey sunshine” Jaebum greets him, lifting his helmet a bit so Youngjae can recognize him. “Do you need a ride?”

Youngjae smiles to him and nods, not wasting time climbing besides Jaebum on the motorcycle and embracing him from behind.

“You should hold me tighter, I’m not precisely slow when I’m riding my princess” Jaebum warns, making his engine roar.

“You know, if you want a hug you just have to ask for it” Youngjae cockily answers, but tightens his grip around Jaebum nevertheless.

Jaebum smirks. Youngjae’s hands around his torso feel real good. Maybe he should ride slower this time to make it last.

 

Unfortunately, they weren’t that far from the university so the journey was short but intense. Every time Jaebum stopped in a semaphore, Youngjae took the chance to roam his hands a bit through his body. He even had the nerve to rest his hands on Jaebum’s thighs. Riding his motorcycle again after that was hard, but he couldn’t drop Youngjae.

So again, as Youngjae hops off from his motorcycle, Jaebum feels bothered and frustrated. The younger is such a tease; he clearly knows the effect he has on Jaebum and always uses it against him. But he can’t be angry with him, because suddenly Youngjae is returning to his innocent cute form and Jaebum is so gone for it that he doesn’t even know how to properly function again.

“Thank you, Jaebummie” Youngjae says with a grin, fixing his hair that got messy because he didn’t wear a helmet.

“Any time” Jaebum says, running his hands through Youngjae’s hair to help him combing his hair while blushing at the nickname.

“There’s something I want to ask you” Youngjae says, allowing Jaebum to take full care of his hair.

Jaebum hums to him to let him know he’s listening; but he’s burning on the inside in anticipation.

“Next Saturday is my birthday. My friends and I are going out to celebrate on Friday at 11PM, and I would like you to join us”.

Jaebum bits his lip. Next Friday he and Mark have plans already. He would change the date to go to Youngjae’s party, but they have been planning that event for months.

“I’m sorry, Youngjae” he starts saying, feeling more sad as he sees Youngjae’s disappointed face through the rearview. “I’ve already made plans with my best friend, and I can’t cancel it after having spent so much time planning it. But it won’t take long; maybe I can drop by later”.

“Really?” Youngjae asks as his eyes shine with hope. Jaebum grins at the pleasant view and nods. “That would be awesome! We’re not planning on coming back home early, so you have plenty of time to join us”.

“I’ll go, I promise” Jaebum says, retrieving his fingers from Youngjae’s fluffy hair. Youngjae smiles at him and then checks his hair on the rearview.

“Wow, I look handsome” he compliments himself.

“You always look handsome” Jaebum says.

“But you’re way more handsome than me”.

“I have to disagree”.  But before Youngjae can complain again Jaebum keeps talking. “By the way, what do you want for a gift?”

“Gift?” Youngjae asks while tilting his head cutely to the side, making Jeabum’s heart melt. “You don’t have to bring a present, you know. Just your presence is enough”.

“Well, I know you want me but don’t you want anything else?”

“I don’t celebrate my birthday to get gifts, Jaebum. I celebrate it to have a nice time with my friends. So as I’ve said, your presence is enough”.

“I’m going to get you a present anyways”.

Youngjae sighs. Jaebum smiles proudly, already thinking about a proper gift to give to Youngjae.

“Then I’m choosing what I want” Youngjae argues, surprising Jaebum.

“Okay. Tell me your wish”.

Youngjae leans forward to whisper on Jaebum’s ear.

“I want a kiss”.

Jaebum’s jaw drops, not believing what Youngjae had just requested on his ear. Meanwhile Jaebum is in trance, Youngjae separates from him and pats his shoulder.

“See you, Jaebum!” he says as he goes away towards his classroom.

Jaebum follows him with his gaze while his mouth is still widely opened. He shakes his head when the younger is out of seeing, biting his lip in frustration.

“What am I going to do with you, Choi Youngjae?” he asks himself quietly. “You’re driving me crazy”.

 

“Good morning, Kihyun!” Youngjae happily greets the other as he takes a seat beside him.

“Good morning, Youngjae” Kihyun greets back, not hiding the wide smile that spreads through his face as he watches the younger sitting by his side.

“Ready for a day of hard work?” Youngjae asks him with a smile.

Kihyun nods, also grinning. Youngjae leans towards him and pecks his cheek, making Kihyun blush; his heart beating like crazy.

“There’s something I want to ask you” Youngjae says as he takes his things out from his bag.

“Huh?” Kihyun mumbles while staring at Youngjae with curiosity.

“Next weekend it’s my birthday” Youngjae says, “and my friends and I are going to throw a party and I want you to come”.

“Who is going to attend it?” Kihyun asks suspicious.

“Well, I’ve only spoken with Jinyoung and Jaebum…” Youngjae notices how Kihyun’s face darkens at the mention of Jaebum. “And I’m sure Jackson wants to come too…”

Kihyun clicks his tongue in annoyance. Of course, Jackson will be there. He was expecting it but Jaebum? Like hell is he going to let him have Youngjae for himself.

Youngjae bits his lip, thinking about Jinyoung’s words. He should have thought about the other’s feelings before inviting all his crushes. He’s about to tell him that Minhyuk is also invited to see if it makes him feel better when Kihyun speaks again.

“Of course I’ll go” Youngjae looks shocked at him for a moment before smiling in relief. “I wouldn’t miss your birthday party for nothing in the world”.

Kihyun grins proudly. _If I have to fight someone that night for Youngjae I will_ , Kihyun thinks, _but I’m not letting anyone have the freedom to court Youngjae without me being present._

 

Changkyun taps his fingers against his thigh, waiting for Youngjae to arrive. They’re finally having the date Youngjae promised when they met. He thought about picking Youngjae after college but the other insisted in walking this time, saying that he wanted to change his clothes first to look good for him.

Changkyun sees Youngjae making his way towards him, a wide grin already painted in his face. Changkyun’s mouth drools at the pleasant view: Youngjae is wearing a blue sweater with the front tucked inside of his ripped jeans, showing his beautiful thighs through the holes. Youngjae looks so good but still cute with that outfit; meanwhile the only thing Changkyun could think of to wear for the date was a simple white sweatshirt with black jeans and a pair of white sneakers. He should have thought he was going on a date with a Greek god and should have thought of a better outfit.

“Hi, Changkyunie!” Youngjae greets while waving to him when he reaches his location.

“H-hi, Youngjae” Changkyun greets him shyly, feeling ashamed of his appearance.

“Are you okay?” Youngjae says, noticing how Changkyun is trying to avoid his gaze.

“Yes, it’s just…” Changkyun starts saying, “you look freaking amazing while my outfit is terrible”.

Youngjae places a hand on Changkhyun’s chin and lifts his head so they are looking into each other’s eyes.

“Changkyun” Youngjae says firmly, “you look good. You’re truly handsome. This is just a normal date; you didn’t have to wear a suit or anything special for the occasion. I’m not wearing anything special either. And I also prefer you more natural like this”.

“But you look so good…” Changkyun mutters.

Youngjae smiles to him and leans in, dropping a kiss on Changkyun’s cheek. The latter blushes, not expecting that to happen.

“We both look handsome, okay?” Youngjae asks with a friendly grin, offering his hand to Changkyun. “Stop saying nonsense and let’s go to that ice-cream parlor you said that serves the tastiest ice-cream in town”.

Changkyun takes his hand, forgetting about his appearance issues, and leads him towards said parlor. He discovered it thanks to Hyungwon and since that day he hasn’t eaten an ice-cream that wasn’t served there.

The parlor is near a park and it’s full with children that want to enjoy the last ice-creams of the summer before it gets too cold to do it. The place is painted in white and blue with lots of drawings from their little customers adorning the four walls of the establishment.

“This place is so cozy!” Youngjae says with a squeal when they arrive. “And the drawings are really cute”.

Changkyun chuckles as he sees Youngjae inspecting every drawing inside the place.

“You can leave your drawing too if you want later” he informs Youngjae.

“Really?” Youngjae asks him with bright eyes.

“Yes. One of these drawings is mine. Can you guess which one while I get us something to eat?”

Youngjae nods and reaches for his wallet to give money to Changkyun, but the latter stops him from doing so grabbing his hand.

“My treat” Changkyun says with a gentle smile. “I ran over you so it’s only right if I pay for our meal”.

“Haven’t I said that you didn’t have to bother yourself more with that? You should move on”.

“I know but… you can pay next time”.

Youngjae’s smile only gets wider at that.

“Fair enough. I want vanilla with cookies!”

Changkyun pinches his cheek before going to get their orders. Youngjae observes all the drawings there, trying to decipher which one is Changkyun’s. But it turns out it wasn’t that difficult: among the child’s pictures, there’s only one that seems better drawn than the rest. Youngjae smiles and sits at a table besides it.

“You’ve got it” Changkyun says when he comes back with two ice-cream cups.

“It wasn’t really difficult to spot it” Youngjae answers, already taking a spoonful from his ice-cream. “Yours is the best drawn”.

Changkyun smiles proudly at that, also taking a spoonful from his cup.

“Thank you, I guess. I made it last year”.

“Can I ask why a teddy bear?”

“Of course. I just… I just like teddy bears. A lot. I have a lot in my room of all types, colors and sizes”.

Youngjae’s eyes widen at that as he turns the spoon in his mouth to lick any remain ice-cream from it.

“Really?” Changkyun nods, drooling again at the sight. Youngjae and ice-cream is a dangerous but delicious combination. “I would like to see them”.

“You’re always welcome to my house” Changkyun answers, taking another spoonful of ice-cream to feed Youngjae. “Taste it. It’s cheesecake with berries”.

Youngjae stares amused at the spoon before opening his mouth, really excited about tasting it. Changkyun smiles before introducing the spoon on Youngjae’s mouth, who quickly licks it until it’s empty.

“Delicious!” he exclaims. “Now you”.

Changkyun’s eyes follow the movement of Youngjae’s hands as he fills his spoon with ice-cream.

“Say ‘aaah’” Youngjae commands.

Changkyun opens his mouth with an ‘aaaah’ and Youngjae introduces the spoon inside. Changkyun tastes it and nods with his head.

“All the flavors taste good” he says.

“You were telling the truth when you said here have the best ice-cream ever”.

“Of course! I always say the truth”.

“Seriously? Then may I ask how many people have you brought here before me?”

Changkyun mentally scoffs. He has never brought someone there as he barely has dates. The only person that has come with him there is Hyungwon.

“Just one” Changkyun answers and then chuckles at Youngjae’s cute confused face. “My best friend”.

“You’re lying”.

“I’m not. It’s been a while since the last time I had a date. Only my best friend and I come here when he’s free”.

“I don’t believe you” Youngjae says, playing with his spoon. “It’s impossible that someone like you doesn’t have dates”.

“What do you mean?” Changkyun asks, feeding Youngjae again from his spoon.

“You’re handsome” Youngjae answers before accepting Changkyun’s treat. “And you’re funny and also gentle. I can’t believe you’re single”.

“Well, I’m not really interested about dating. I’m more of an indoors person”.

Youngjae pouts at him.

“So, did you only come today because you feel bad about our accident?” he asks.

“Of course not!” Changkyun quickly denies, finishing his ice-cream. “There aren’t many things I’m interested about but you are. Since the day we met, I’m very attracted to you; genuinely attracted to you. I want to know you. I want to know what things you like or dislike. Believe me when I say I’m not feeling forced or anything to do this; I’m doing this because I want to”.

Youngjae smiles fondly, moved by Changkyun’s words.

“I also want to get to know you more, Changkyun” he says intertwining their fingers together. “I also feel attracted to you”.

Changkyun smiles but disentangles his hand from Youngjae’s, making him frown.

“I’m going to ask for pencils and paper” Changkyun tells him.

Youngjae claps at him excitedly. He stares at the other all the time, thinking how nice Changkyun is and how much he likes him. He then stares at Changkyun’s drawing, wondering what he should draw. An idea suddenly pops in his head and he stands up to remove Changkyun’s drawing from the wall.

“What are you doing?” Changkyun asks him when he’s back.

“It’s a surprise” Youngjae says with a wink. “I promise I’ll put it back on its place”.

Changkyun looks intrigued at him as Youngjae draws on the paper, but the latter won’t let him see what he’s doing, so he just rests his face on his hand above the table, watching Youngjae truly focused on his work.

Five minutes later Youngjae is finished.

“Ready?” Youngjae asks Changkyun, who nods eagerly.

Youngjae finally reveals his drawing: a cute otter with a mole under his right eye waving with one of his tiny hands.

“It’s really cute” Changkyun compliments, bewitched by the image.

“I thought your teddy bear seemed a bit lonely so I have drawn a friend for him” Youngjae explains. “Do you like it?”

“A lot! But why did you hook off my drawing from the wall?”

Youngjae smiles in delight and grabs a red pencil along with Changkyun’s drawing. Youngjae places it besides his, drawing a heart on the sides linking both pictures.

“Ta-da!” Youngjae exclaims, showing his creation to Changkyun.

“Youngjae…” Changkyun mutters, taking both drawings in his hands without breaking the heart that connects them. “This is so beautiful. I’m speechless”.

“I’m glad you like it” Youngjae says, giving Changkyun the best eye-smile he has ever seen.

“Let’s hang them up together”.

After their drawings are safely hanged on the wall, the shop owner compliments their work and asks if they want a picture with their drawings, to what Youngjae and Changkyun nod.

They sit under their drawings, with Youngjae placing his arm around Changkyun’s shoulders as the latter rest his head on Youngjae’s shoulder; both of them smiling widely.

“You’re such a lovely couple” the shop owner tells them, giving Changkyun his phone back.

“Thank you” Changkyun says with a bow.

“Wow, the picture is really beautiful” Youngjae says as Changkyun shows him his phone. “Please send it to me!”

Changkyun grins and complies. After that, Changkyun walks Youngjae home; their hands linked the whole time and genuine happy smiles on their faces.

“Text me when you get home” Youngjae says when they arrive at his door.

“Sure! I hope we’ll see each other soon again” Changkyun says, smiling sadly because he didn’t want their date to end.

“Of course! Speaking about that, next weekend is my birthday and I’m throwing a party with my friends. I was wondering if you would like to come. You can bring some friends if you want to”.

Changkyun stares at him in surprise for a moment before nodding excitedly.

“Sure! Text me place and hour and I’ll be there!”

Youngjae smiles at him and then tugs from Changkyun’s sleeve.

“Don’t you think you’re forgetting something?” he asks.

Changkyun tilts his head, wondering what it could be. Youngjae pokes his cheek and Changkyun finally realizes: he’s forgetting Youngjae’s kiss.

He leans towards him and shyly pecks his cheek. Youngjae smiles in pure delight before releasing Changkyun.

“See you soon, Changkyun!” he says while waving to him as he goes away.

Changkyun waves back, already looking forward to their next meeting. He unlocks his phone and settles their photo as his new wallpaper.

 

Youngjae thinks his day couldn’t get better; but he’s proved wrong as soon as he opens the door and Jackson throws himself onto Youngjae while babbling about how much he has missed the younger and how he feels abandoned by him. Youngjae hugs him back, assuring him that he has missed him too and apologizing for making him feel like that.

“If you really want to make it up for leaving me behind then you’re paying tonight” Jackson tells him, still pretending to be upset.

“Deal” Youngjae easily complies.

“You already know what I want” Jackson mutters, giving Youngjae his own phone to order their dinner.

Youngjae nods and takes his phone from Jackson’s hands, not forgetting to leave a peck on Jackson’s cheek to calm his pretended fury before going to the kitchen to make their order in a quiet place.

Jackson sits beside Yugyeom on the couch, grinning like the fool in love he is. Yugyeom notices and turns his gaze towards Jackson, ignoring the action movie he was watching before the elder arrived.

“You’re still in love with Youngjae” Yugyeom whispers to Jackson while making sure that Youngjae isn’t hearing them.

“Of course” Jackson states proudly, not ashamed about it.

“So, are you planning on making a move on him or what? If you keep wasting your time someone could take him away from you…” Jackson frowns at the younger, the image of a certain someone popping out on his mind. “Like me for example”.

“What?” Jackson asks, staring at Yugyeom in disbelief. He glances slightly at Youngjae in the kitchen before moving closer to the youngest of the three. “You’re not interested in him”.

“Or you haven’t noticed I am”, Yugyeom whispers to him with a smirk.

“We’re friends. You won’t betray me”.

“Who knows?” Yugyeom asks while shrugging his shoulders. “I find Youngjae truly irresistible with that hair color. Maybe I’ll decide to make a move on him one of these days since, you know, we live together”.

“Kim Yugyeom, you wouldn’t dare” Jackson warns him while glaring.

“Why not? Youngjae is unique. If you won’t make him yours then I’ll make him mine”.

“Please” Jackson says with a scoff, “I’m way more handsome and muscular than you are. And for your information, we have already made out. You can’t win over me”.

“As I’ve said, we live together. Who says I can’t seduce him and make him mine? We spend a lot of time together. He even cooks for me and sometimes we sleep in the same bed. Cuddling, of course”.

“I’m positive I’ve slept and cuddled with him at least 100 times more than you have. And of course he cooks for you: he sees you as his little brother! You’re totally out of the game, boy”.

Yugyeom glares back at him, really annoyed with the comment.

“Then I’ll make him change his opinion”.

Jackson scoffs at him one more time before Youngjae comes back and plops down on the sofa between them.

“What were you talking about, guys?” he innocently asks.

“Nothing” Jackson quickly answers. “Little Yugyeomie here was telling me about his summer. Right, little Yugyeomie?”

Yugyeom glares at him intensely until Youngjae turns his head to look at him.

“Right. I was telling Jackson about how much I missed you” Yugyeom answers while hugging Youngjae tightly, separating him from Jackson.

“I’ve also missed you a lot” Jackson says, latching himself onto Youngjae to hug him too.

“I’ve missed you both, guys” Youngjae says, smiling a bit confused at his friends’ behavior. “But you’re suffocating me”.

Yugyeom and Jackson quickly let go of him but keep glaring at each other.

“I’ll bring my laptop so we can watch a movie or something on Netflix” Youngjae says, standing up again to retrieve his laptop from his bedroom.

“This isn’t over yet” Yugyeom warns Jackson when Youngjae is out of the room.

“Bring it on, boy” Jackson says defiantly.

 

Jackson can’t help but smile happily as Youngjae lies on his bed by his side. After Yugyeom gave him a hell of a night constantly requiring Youngjae’s attention and help, he can finally relax lying with his beloved one and receiving all his cares.

Youngjae caresses Jackson’s profile with his finger, from his forehead to his chin. Jackson has his eyes closed, fully feeling Youngjae’s soft touch.

“You’re so handsome, Jackson” Youngjae mutters as he finishes.

“Not as much as you are” Jackson whispers back, mimicking Youngjae’s previous movement, caressing Youngjae’s face.

Youngjae also closes his eyes. Jackson’s hands on his skin feel like fire. Every touch of Jackson’s fingers, even the slightest, sets his body on fire. There’s something about Jackson, about how careful he is when they are together, as if he was a precious object Jackson is scared to break. Even if Jackson looks tough on his exterior, he’s a very sweet guy. He’s passionate about everything he does and always pours his heart on it. These are just a few of the things Youngjae loves about Jackson.

As soon as Jackson retrieves his fingers from Youngjae’s face, he feels cold again. He stares into Jackson’s eyes, where he sees himself reflected.

“Jackson” Youngjae whispers softly.

Jackson smiles at him, to what Youngjae responds by intertwining their fingers together. He wonders if it’d be selfish to ask the other if he can kiss him; but he can’t restrain himself from his urge to feel more of the other.

“I was wondering…” Youngjae continues, deciding that he can at least try. “I was wondering if it’ll be okay with you if I’d kiss you right now”.

Jackson’s eyes and mouth widen in surprise. It’s been a while since the last (and only) time they kissed, and Jackson would be lying if he said he hadn’t think about doing it again. But the fact that Youngjae is actually asking for it and he’s sober this time sends shivers through his entire body.

Jackson gulps before moving closer towards him.

“It’d be more than okay with me” he answers.

Youngjae gives him a small smile and a squeeze on his cheek before also moving closer, their faces centimeters away from each other’s. They stare at each other for a moment, as if they were making sure that the other is really okay with it until Youngjae finally closes the gap between them.

At first it’s only a brief peck, just a lip on lip contact; but Youngjae wants more of Jackson and so wants the other. Youngjae moves even closer, tightening his grip on Jackson’s body and starts moving his lips against Jackson’s, who is eager to return all the kisses. As Youngjae imagined, the other is pouring all his heart in his actions.

Youngjae deepens the kiss before breaking the contact, leaving Jackson breathless as well as dumbfounded.

“Good night Jacks” he says, giving his cheek a soft peck before snuggling on his chest.

“Good night, baby otter” Jackson says, also dropping a kiss on Youngjae’s forehead. He can’t ask for more; he has been blessed with an amazing kiss and he’s going to spend the night by the younger’s side. He feels full and warm as he has never been.

Youngjae smiles against Jackson’s chest, feeling blessed as well with all the events that happened today.

_Another incredible day with an even blissful ending_ , he thinks before drifting to slumber.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! I'm back with an extra large chapter for y'all^^ I've only started my exams period but still managed to write something. I hope you'll like it :D  
> I don't know what to do anymore. At first I was like OMG I need YugJae, they're so cute! But then Jaebum appeared, and then Kihyun, and then the date with Changkyun and Jackjae... Idk what I want anymore. I like everybody with Youngjae T.T  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	11. The Talk

It’s Saturday morning when Jinyoung wakes up, feeling the sunlight in his face. Of course Coco is right there, on his feet, sleeping peacefully. Waking up with her on his feet is one of the things Jinyoung is going to miss. Some others are when he feeds her and she barks happily or when she falls asleep on his lap. Those moments are going to stay forever with him. And he isn't going to forget how she is the reason he met Mark, who made him believe in love again. 

Jinyoung stretches his arms and looks at Coco, who has just woken up and is looking at him. She shakes her tail before going to Jinyoung's arms and he embraces her. He caresses Coco's fur slowly because he knows that Coco loves it. 

“Good morning little princess, how are you today?” She barks in response, making Jinyoung smile. 

“Do you want something to eat?” Coco shakes her tail and barks another time. Jinyoung takes that as a yes so he goes off his bed heading to the kitchen to fill Coco's bowl with the food Mark gave to him. Coco really likes it and Jinyoung knows it too, because if he gives her another food, she doesn't eat it. He mentally takes note that he has to inform Youngjae about it.

Speaking about him, he remembers that he should call him to know how he ended up with the invitations, so he goes to the living room with his breakfast and Coco’s food. He finishes his breakfast and then takes his phone, dialing Youngjae’s number. 

“Good morning Jinyoung.” The husky voice of Youngjae just woken up greets him.

“Good morning Youngjae, how was the round of invitations?”

“Well… It went out well, but Jaebum might not come. He will be with his best friend because they planned the meeting long time ago. On the other hand, Kihyun, Changkyun and Jackson said yes, but when I mentioned that the others will come, something in their faces changed.”

“Youngjae, that was because they know that they are enemies fighting for your love, all of them want to be the special person for you.” Jinyoung rolls his eyes. _He still doesn’t understand that he should be with just one of them._

“I know, but I love all of them like precious treasures. All of them have a special thing that makes me fall for them and choosing only one is hard.” Youngjae knows that he should give his love to just one of them, but he can’t choose who, so he is going to hang out with them and go with the flow. “I should wait after my birthday and see how things go.”

“That is a good idea. Besides, I can help you with them; that way I can see if they are good enough for you.” 

“Jinyoung, you don't have to. And Mark? Isn't he coming?” 

“I haven’t asked him yet, I don't know if he will say yes or not.” 

“You're overthinking it, of course he will say ye-” suddenly Youngjae stops talking and Jinyoung worries about his behavior.

“Youngjae, are you okay? Youngjae?” The younger is still in silence, and Jinyoung worries even more. After a few minutes, Youngjae exhales, alarming Jinyoung. “Youngjae, what happens?”

“I'm watching Yugyeom cleaning.”

“That's not new; he's your housemate after all.”

“No, no… well yes, but he is only wearing sweat pants. He has a nice body now that I see him.” Jinyoung face palms himself. _Oh no, Yugyeom no._

“Youngjae, don't tell me you have a new crush on him.” 

“No but… I think that I’m not going to be able to see him as my younger brother anymore.” Now is Jinyoung who is in silence. _Anyone besides him, I really hate him. Yugyeom can't be the one for Youngjae, over my dead body_.

“Youngjae, is Jackson with you?” Jinyoung's voice is serious, and scary. Youngjae gets tense hearing him.

“Y-yeah, why?” Now Youngjae starts to sweat because he doesn't know why Jinyoung has a sudden change of behavior.

“Give him your phone; I want to talk to him.” Youngjae has the need to bow because the authoritative voice of Jinyoung. He shakes Jackson's body, waking him up.

“Jacks, Jinyoung wants to talk to you. He sounds really serious.” Jackson tenses up hearing Youngjae talking so nervously, so he takes Youngjae's phone and Youngjae walks out of the room to make breakfast for the three of them.

“Jinyoung, what do you want to ta-”

“JACKSON, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? YOU SHOULD BE MAKING YOUNGJAE YOURS, OR YUGYEOM IS GOING TO DO IT.” Jackson has to put the phone away of his ear to not become deaf.

“Hey, hey, Jinyoung, relax. How do you know it?” He is confused about why Jinyoung knows about that if it just happened last night.

“Jackson, I'm not going to repeat it to you, but you should make a move on Youngjae. I prefer you over Yugyeom.” 

“I'm not going to let Yugyeom have Youngjae, I promise you.” Jackson says dead serious.

“Okay, now start seducing Youngjae. I'm going to hang up, see you.” Jackson places Youngjae's phone on the table and then he sees Yugyeom smirking, looking at him. 

Yugyeom continues cleaning the house and Jackson goes to help Youngjae with the breakfast. _I’m not going to let Yugyeom take this beautiful yet handsome boy away from me._

 

Jinyoung places his phone on the table and takes Coco in his arms to wash her. Of course, he only uses what Mark gave to him. He should treat her like the princess she is or Mark won’t forgive him ever. While drying Coco’s fur, Jinyoung thinks about surprising Mark at the shelter because he doesn’t have anything to do today.

Jinyoung takes a shower, a long shower, because he still has the feelings of that night he let his instinct go wild lingering in his skin; and the sensation of having Mark under him only increased the desire of taking him right there. So now he has to take a cold shower.

When he finishes, it's almost lunchtime, so Jinyoung dries himself, puts on something comfortable and prepares for himself a big bowl of spicy ramen and Coco's bowl full of food. They eat in comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s company. 

At 5 p.m. Jinyoung decides to visit Mark, so he dresses himself casually and gets out, leaving Coco sleeping in his bed. The day is good, it's warm outside, but not too much. Jinyoung enjoys the smooth breeze that is coming from the open window of his car during his journey to the animal shelter.

When he comes in the shelter, Jinyoung notices that Momo isn't at the counter, but in her place is another girl.

“Hello, how can I help you?” The girl says to Jinyoung smiling.

“Hello, do you know where Mark is?” Jinyoung asks her. The girl looks at him suspiciously.

“Who asks for him?” 

“Park Jinyoung”. The girl looks at him surprised. One minute later her boss appears through the door.

“Oh hello Jinyoung, please Mark is here, come in.” The girl is still confused and JYP notices it.

“Chaeyoung, he is Mark's boyfriend, you should let him enter to see him.” She mutes an 'aahh’ finally realizing what is going on.

“We are not boyfriends.” _Yet,_ Jinyoung thinks. Mark's boss lets escape a 'sure’ before leading Jinyoung to where Mark is.

“Jinyoung, something happened with Mark? Because when he has nothing to do he just sits anywhere and looks at the wall in front of him, but only to the ones that have nothing on them.” 

_ Oh no, I traumatized him,  _ Jinyoung thinks.

Mark's boss opens the door and the first thing Jinyoung sees is Mark exactly like the older had told him seconds ago: Mark is staring at a white wall, sitting on a stool.

“Mark, are you okay?”

Jinyoung's voice makes Mark jump out of the stool and fall to the ground clumsily. Jinyoung giggles at how cute Mark looks in that situation. 

“Let me help you.” Jinyoung gives his hand to Mark, who looks at him confused while rubbing where he impacted against the ground. Mark now is staring at his hand. _Wow, he is really a prince, so handsome and a gentleman._ Then Mark takes his hand and stands up.

“Y-yes, I'm okay. Something happened to Coco?” Mark's cheeks are red, making him look like a puppy, cute and adorable. Jinyoung has to restrain himself from showering Mark with kisses.

“No, no, relax, she is fine. I'm here to know if you can go out with me.” Mark's face looks confused and he doesn't know what to do or say.

“Of course he can. Mark, go out with your boyfriend.” Mark’s boss answers for him.

“But, wait, who is going to replace me?”

“Junho will be here soon, so just go with Jinyoung and enjoy your date” an unexpected Momo answers as she appears behind their boss, followed by a confused Chaeyoung.

Jinyoung and Mark blush and Momo and her boss exclaim an ‘oohh’ while Chaeyoung is still a bit confused.

“Can I ask something? What is happening here exactly?” Everybody turns to her and Momo rushes to her.

“I’ll tell you everything, come with me while they talk”. The devilish look of Momo scares her more. She takes Chaeyoung to the inside of the shelter. The other three contemplate the whole scene with a poker face. 

“Well… Mark, Jinyoung, you two can go out now. Mark, see you tomorrow if you can, if not, the next Monday.” Mark’s boss smiles at the two of them and then he disappears. 

They go out of the shelter; not before saying goodbye to Momo and a now aware Chaeyoung. The breeze outside is more relaxing than before, so they decide to walk around. Of course, every now and then their hands touch, sending shivers through their bodies, both of them enjoying every little contact. They talk about how the day is going and some other things. 

Near the shelter and in front of a park is a little cafeteria with a lot of different types of sweets and coffees. Inside, the temperature is nice and the smell of coffee recently made makes the place more comfortable. 

The waitress waves her hand to Mark. They know each other because he goes there with the others from the shelter when they close soon and they have nothing to do. Jinyoung smiles gently to her before sitting in a table near the window. 

“Mark, what do you want to drink or eat?” Jinyoung stares at him sweetly. Mark blushes hard before standing up.

“I will ask, you stay here and relax.” Mark pushes Jinyoung to sit while he goes to order the meals. He goes away from Jinyoung with a smile on his face as Jinyoung is left astonished by the sudden change of behavior in Mark.

Mark only has taken a few steps away when he realizes that he forgot to ask Jinyoung what he wanted to take; so he has to come back to their table embarrassed.

“I forgot to ask you what you would eat or drink” Mark says nervously and Jinyoung notices it, so he sits up and pushes Mark the same way the other did before.

“I'll order the meals, tell me what you want.” 

Mark is amazed at how Jinyoung is so caring about him and doesn't yell at him every time he does something wrong like that. He always puts that beautiful smile and makes him feel so good next to him. So Mark tells him that he wants an Americano and a selection of sweets. 

After a few minutes Jinyoung comes back and Mark, like every time he sees him, thinks that he is a prince and that he is all he needs in this world. Mark had lost the desire to search for _the one_ until he met Jinyoung, an angel in human form. He really doesn’t have any words to describe him besides perfect.

“Do you know something?” Jinyoung says, breaking the ice between them while waiting.

“About what?” He has interest of course, everything the younger says is important to him.

“About Coco, she only likes the things you prepare for her.”

“She has a special taste for everything; if it isn't the best, she doesn’t eat it.” 

“Really? She is like a real princess. Well, she is.” Mark's face is shining; he really loves Coco that much. Jinyoung smiles fondly at the sight. “You miss her, right?”

“Yes, she is like my little princess and like my daughter.” Jinyoung now sees Mark’s eyes shining with a bit of sadness too. 

At that moment their orders arrive, served by the waitress who smiles at them while placing everything on the table. Jinyoung thanks her gently and she blushes before walking away muttering something like _he’s so lucky_. Jinyoung hears it and smirks, taking a sip of his coffee before staring again at Mark, who is stirring his coffee lazily with his spoon.

“There’s only a week before I give Coco to my friend” Jinyoung says, “but I’m sure he would allow you to visit her anytime you want gladly”.

“Really?” Mark asks excitedly, raising his head and looking at Jinyoung with sparkling eyes.

“Of course” Jinyoung answers with a gentle smile. “He is a really nice person. He will take good care of Coco, I’m sure of it. And besides, he’s a busy man so I’m also positive that I’m going to have to babysit Coco more than once. I can always call you and we can take care of her together”.

“Wow, that would be amazing” Mark answers, now drinking and eating with enthusiasm at the promise of seeing Coco and Jinyoung together again. “I hope I’m not being a bother to you”.

Jinyoung frowns, placing his cup of coffee again on the table.

“Why do you say that?” he asks, not understanding how Mark could be a bother for him when he’s the one always calling for him. “You’re not a bother, Mark. I should be the one asking that to you since I always call you and text you and even go visit you at your shelter. Am I disturbing your life, Mark?”

Mark looks at him and immediately regrets his decision; Jinyoung is staring back at him so serious, waiting for his answer with eyes full of determination. He blushes and diverts his gazes, taking a scone in his hands and fiddling with it.

“Oh, hum, well…” Mark mutters, not sure about the answer to Jinyoung’s question. It’s true that he’s been disturbing his life, but not in a bad way. Mark likes very much the intrusion in his sometimes truly boring life.

“Am I, Mark? Am I disturbing your life?” Jinyoung asks, starting to panic. He hasn’t even realized he raised his voice a bit until Mark answers him nervously.

“Yes!” Mark answers, barely thinking about it due to Jinyoung’s sudden outburst. He dares to look at the other and regrets doing so again. Jinyoung looks dejected, staring at him with sad puppy eyes. “I mean, no! Well, yes, but it’s not like you think”.

Still with worried eyes, Jinyoung takes a scone and starts eating it, trying to conceal his nervousness. He never intended to annoy Mark or molest him. He’s starting to think that maybe he’s being too reckless and Mark only follows him because he’s scared of him or something. Mark notices how Jinyoung’s face darkens and takes a sip of his coffee before talking.

“What I meant” he starts, and Jinyoung quickly stares at him with eyes full of hope, “it’s that yes, you trespassed into my life without warning and changed it, but not in a bad way. I like hanging out with you. Outside the shelter I only have one friend; I’m not very outgoing or friendly, but somehow you succeeded on getting me out from my comfort zone and I still feel safe and comfortable with you”.

Jinyoung smiles at him in amusement. In the short time they have known each other, Jinyoung noticed that Mark doesn’t talk much, but now he’s talking about how he feels. Jinyoung’s heart flutters as he replays Mark’s words in his head.

“I’m grateful to you for that” Mark continues, a strange force taking possession of his body and commanding him to speak, to let everything out. “I always have fun when I’m with you. Since we met I’ve always wanted to talk to you and spend time together, but my clumsiness always comes in the way…”

“You’re cute” Jinyoung cuts him, chuckling as Mark’s cheeks starts to redden. 

“I’m glad you think that’s cute but I don’t want to trip and fall over everything whenever we are together. It’s not funny”.

“I really don’t mind” Jinyoung says gently, taking the last scone in his hands and then offering it to Mark, who stares between Jinyoung’s eyes and hand until Jinyoung nods and then he bites the food. 

Jinyoung chuckles as he sees Mark struggling to not dirt himself with the cream that comes out from inside the pastry. When Jinyoung retrieves his hand to eat the remaining scone, he watches in awe how Mark examines his clothes to make sure nothing has fallen onto them but seems not to notice the drops that are resting by his mouth.

“You’re really cute no matter what you do” Jinyoung says while reaching to clean the cream off Mark’s face.

Mark pouts at him and rubs at the corner of his mouth to clean himself. Jinyoung allows him to take care of himself as he leans back on his chair to enjoy the adorable sight of Mark trying to remove the cream off his face and resembling like a puppy as he does so.

But Jinyoung has to withdraw what he said as he sees Mark looking at his finger covered in cream before taking it into his mouth, sucking on it to clean it. His breath gets caught in his throat and his lower region starts to function as Mark repeats the action until he makes sure he’s fully cleaned.

When he’s finished he stares at Jinyoung, who is swallowing hard while rumpling a napkin aggressively. He’s staring back at Mark intensely, and Mark gulps as he sees Jinyoung’s tongue coming out from his mouth to moisten his lips. He quickly takes his coffee again and drinks it all in one go.

“I’m finished!” he happily announces, hoping that Jinyoung would be finished too so they can leave and end with this sudden and suffocating tension between them.

“Y-yeah” Jinyoung says, collecting himself before also finishing his drink in one gulp. “Me too, let’s go”.

They leave in silence; Mark trying to decipher what he did to trigger that reaction from Jinyoung and the latter trying to think about creepy things to calm himself down. During the journey, Mark looks discretely to Jinyoung, who continues focused on his thoughts. Mark smiles, feeling now happy that he elicits that type of reactions from Jinyoung. Now he knows he’s not the only one who is thirsty for the other in any form.

Mark is thirsty for Jinyoung’s body but also for his love. He thinks about himself as a vampire, always reclosed inside his own world until this beautiful human took him out of it and now he’s thirsty for the blood he hasn’t sucked for a while. He put a shell around himself to not be hurt again, but Jinyoung easily made his way through it and pulled him out with him. He’s feeling the things he was suppressing since years ago but he’s happy about it. He wants Jinyoung’s love. He wants to feel it all; with hugs, with kisses, with sex or even with just holding hands. And he’s glad to know that Jinyoung also feels the same.

“We’re here” Mark mutters, taking Jinyoung out from his chain of thoughts.

“Well, I suppose it’s here where we separate” Jinyoung says sadly.

“Tomorrow I’m free in the evening” Mark quickly says.

“All evening?” Jinyoung asks.

“Yes” Mark answers, “I’m all yours in the evening”.

Jinyoung smirks devilishly at that. Mark notices and mentally panics.

“Then come to my house and we can play with Coco together”.

Mark smiles and reaches to hold Jinyoung’s hand.

“I’d love that”.

But Jinyoung, not quite satisfied with just holding his hand pushes Mark harder towards himself and he embraces him, whispering into his ear.

“See you tomorrow, babe”.

Mark stares at Jinyoung’s sexy back until he disappears from his view. He then covers his face with both hands in embarrassment.

_ He called me babe _ , Mark thinks, replaying the moment over and over again.

When he thinks he’s calmed down he enters the shelter again. Fortunately Momo and Chaeyoung aren’t there anymore, as on Saturdays and Sundays they only work in Urgencies or taking care of the animals. Don’t get him wrong, he likes the girls but they are too nosy.

“Hey, Mark” a masculine voice calls him as he enters the medical area.

“Hi, Junho” he greets back, taking a seat next to Junho to watch the other auscultating a kitten.

“I was told that you wouldn’t come back until tomorrow” Junho says, finishing the auscultation and rewarding the little cat with caresses.

“I only went out for a while” Mark says, still watching amused how Junho puts the kitten down and feeds him. Junho loves cats a lot, like his friend Jaebum who owns three cats. “Seriously, why did everyone assume I wasn’t going to come back? I don’t have anything else to do and Jaebum is out of town”.

Junho shrugs his shoulders and sits beside him, opening a folder to write down the results of his tests.

“I don’t know. I heard you were on a date so everyone kind of supposed it would entertain you until tomorrow”.

“Uh”, Mark mutters. Honestly, Mark didn’t want the date to end so soon; but the way Jinyoung looked at him while they were having coffee was dangerous and he had to put some distance between them or else he would have given in to Jinyoung’s desires and it’s still too early for that. He doesn’t trust his body when he’s near Jinyoung but he also doesn’t want to seem as if he was after Jinyoung only for the sex.

“Something happened?” Junho asks, noticing his turmoil.

“N-no” Mark answers. He wonders if he should tell Junho. Unlike certain persons who don’t seem reliable at all, Junho always gave him a trustable vibe. He still feels a bit uncomfortable talking about his sexual life with Jaebum, so maybe he should trust Junho with this.

But as soon as he opens the mouth to talk another person walks in, and Mark definitely doesn’t want this person to know about his love life.

“Hi kids!” Taecyeon greets him happily.

Junho rolls his eyes.

“Hello, Taec” he says apathetically.

Ok Taecyeon works at weekends and nights taking care of the animals at the shelter. Mark knows him since the first day he was hired here, and contrary to his though exterior Taecyeon has the mentality of a five year old kid. And he is always accompanied by…

“Good evening my sons!”

Kim Minjun, another elder with the mentality of a five year old. They are inseparable and random, truly random. You can’t trust them to behave in any situation; reason why Mark totally doesn’t want this two to find out about Jinyoung.

“We are not your sons” Junho complains, taking the kitten again in his arms and petting it.

“How ungrateful!” Minjun says while glaring at Junho. “I always took good care of you all! I didn’t raise you to be like this”.

Mark laughs. The three of them are older than him but definitely younger when it comes to mental age.

“Besides” Minjun continues, “if it wasn’t for me you would have never met the love of your life”.

“Excuse me” Junho says, turning to look at him seriously offended, “but I would have gotten Chansung without your help. I always get what I want”.

“But who introduced him to you, huh? You couldn’t even talk properly in front of him. Be grateful that I only talked good things about you in front of him”.

“Whatever. I’m out of here” Junho says, leaving the room with the kitten still in his arms.

Mark can’t stop laughing at their silly fights. Junho recently got together with his boyfriend Chansung after months of just staring and failed attempts to talk to him, and it was all thanks to Minjun who surprisingly knew Chansung and settled a date for both of them. Turns out, Chansung already had an eye on Junho since the first time he saw him when his friend Nichkhun recommended him to get a pet so he wouldn’t feel lonely. He left the shelter without a pet but with a new crush.

Mark admires their relationship. Chansung is a business man but always comes to pick Junho up after work or takes him in random dates out of the town to relax, just both of them. Junho always talks about how dedicated Chansung is to his work but also to his relationship and how much he loves him for that. He is also thinking about moving with him to live together since their relationship is sailing well.

That’s why he would trust Junho with his potential new relationship but not Minjun or Taecyeon. Mark isn’t even sure if they are together or not.

“Hey, Mark” Taecyeon calls him, placing the new items he has brought in the cabinets of the room. “Were you out last Thursday night?”

_ Shit _ , Mark thinks. That was the day he went out with Jinyoung and he pushed him against the wall.

“I think I saw you with someone being all cute”.

_ Shit, shit, shit. _

“Yeah, I was almost sure it was you” Minjun says, sitting beside Mark. “You were with a nice young man that resembled like Taec a lot”.

_ Shit, they know _ .

“We wanted to salute you but suddenly this boy took you and you disappeared” Minjun continues, staring at Mark with his head tilted to the side.

Mark scratches the back of his neck, not knowing what to do. It’s useless to deny it since they know it was him. But if he acknowledges it they won’t stop teasing him and they are far worse than Momo and his boss.

“Why didn’t you tell us you have a boyfriend?” Taecyeon asks, joining Minjun’s side. “It’s because we are similar and you thought I would think you were after me?”

“God, no!” Mark denies too quickly, earning two pleased and teasing faces staring at him with an evil glint in their eyes.

“I don’t mind if your boyfriend looks like my Taecyeon” Minjun says. “I know my Taec is handsome and all, but we are talking about two different persons. You can have your man as long as you don’t touch mine”.

Mark face palms himself.

“But you need to be careful” Minjun adds.

Mark stares confused at the two.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“We saw what you did against that wall” Taecyeon answers.

_ Holy shit _ , Mark thinks as he hides his face between his hands, embarrassed as fuck.

“I understand, Mark” Minjun says, patting his shoulder. “You are human and you have your necessities, but don’t do it in public places where everyone can see you. It’s not a pleasant view and it’s not hygienic either”.

“We didn’t do it!” Mark shouts, raising his head violently from his hands.

The couple looks at him in awe, and so does Junho who was casually passing by the door when he heard Mark shouting.

“But we saw him above you” Taecyeon says.

“And we heard you moaning” Minjun adds.

“It’s not like it seems!” Mark defends himself again, staring at Junho asking for help.

“Well, we believe you” Taecyeon says with a smirk.

“But,” Minjun says, holding Mark’s wrist so he can’t move, “I think we should talk about it”.

Mark panics, and he actually lets out shriek when Minjun introduces his hand inside his back pocket and takes out a condom.

“You should always use protection” Minjun says, throwing the condom carelessly to Mark’s lap, who tries to remove it without success.

“Junho!” Mark yells when Minjun starts to give him graphical descriptions about how to put it on.

“Sorry, Mark” Junho says with a sympathetic smile. “I had to suffer it too”.

And with that, Junho and Taecyeon close the door behind them, leaving Minjun to give _the talk_ to Mark even when they three know that he doesn’t need it. 

Definitely, Mark can’t trust anyone in this shelter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! I'm so sorry! This update was supposed to be posted before but we weren't able to make it. Mianhae :(  
> Good news, I'm free now so expect more updates to come! I hope you all are having a great summer!  
> Btw, 2pm teasing our poor Mark xD And Jinyoung forgot to ask Mark if he wanted to go to Youngjae's party with him!  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers :D


	12. Birthday Party

The days before his birthday pass quickly for Youngjae, each one of them being as blissful as the previous one.

Each day he wakes up, makes breakfast for him and Yugyeom with the younger attached to his back –sometimes only wearing his sweatpants—and then goes to university, where he sees Kihyun and Jaebum. Both of them take any chance to talk with him and try to guess what Youngjae wants as a gift, but Youngjae always answers the same: a kiss.

He comes home each day accompanied by one of his boys, with whom he spends the evening in his house watching a movie or going out to enjoy the weather. Then Yugyeom comes home at evening, totally unaware of the four different boys that have visited his house in his absence with the exception of Jackson who stays the night on Wednesday. Youngjae was ecstatic to cook for both of them; meanwhile Yugyeom and Jackson were bickering again over him without him noticing. That night ended with both guys almost naked in front of Youngjae who couldn’t decide which body was nicer.

(Later that night Youngjae confessed to Jackson that he liked his body more, and Jackson slept like a baby with a proud smile on his face.

The next morning Youngjae told Yugyeom that he liked his body more, and the younger jumped in joy and spent the rest of the day grinning).

He barely had time to talk with Jinyoung, but he still managed to call his best friend each day. Jinyoung said that he understood his struggles and that he shouldn’t worry, because Jinyoung found an entertainment on his own: this is, having Mark over at his house using Coco as an excuse.

(He didn’t need to do it though. Mark would have come to his house even if he hadn’t mentioned Coco).

Friday isn’t an exception. Mark was supposed to be working as usual, but Jinyoung came just to say ‘hi’ and to Mark’s misfortune Minjun was there and quickly dismissed him saying that he should relax with his boyfriend. His boss also saw the situation and pushed both of them out of the shelter before Mark could even grab his things. When he complained about it his bag was thrown out by Minjun along the lines of “take care and always use protection!”

And just when Mark thought it couldn’t get any worse, a condom dropped from his bag as he picked it up.

He quickly bent down and retrieved it inside his pocket. Fortunately, Jinyoung was busy opening his car and didn’t saw it. But during the journey he couldn’t stop thinking in ways to effectively kill Kim Minjun without leaving any trace behind.

Now he’s fully relaxed sitting on Jinyoung’s couch with Coco on his lap, playing with one of her toys. Jinyoung is beside him, typing on his laptop. He apologized because he was given a task at the last minute and he had to have it done before the day ends. Mark was sad to hear it but then Jinyoung put on his glasses and Mark quickly blurted out that it was okay. He wasn’t going anywhere after all.

Not when he can stare all he wants at the wonder that is Park Jinyoung wearing glasses. Jinyoung was handsome before but those glasses… those glasses are too much for Mark, who only wants to put Coco on the floor and jump on Jinyoung because of how good he looks with them. But he doesn’t want to scare the other so he limits himself to just stare as Jinyoung works diligently on his computer.

A great thirty minutes goes by, with Mark softly caressing Coco’s fur while staring at Jinyoung and the latter typing furiously on his laptop. Suddenly Jinyoung stops typing and Mark diverts his gaze towards the forgotten program on the television he was supposed to be watching as Jinyoung worked; but he was too much distracted by the younger and his glasses.

“I’m finished” Jinyoung announces, turning to smile at Mark.

Mark turns too and smiles back. Then Jinyoung sighs in relief and sends his work to the principal of his school. He closes the laptop and stretches on the sofa, glad that finally he can spend time with Mark properly.

Time passes quickly and without Jinyoung noticing it’s already 9:30PM. When he realizes he quickly jumps on his seat and starts panicking.

“Jinyoung, what’s wrong?” Mark asks him after putting Coco to sleep in Jinyoung’s room.

“It’s so late!” Jinyoung answers. “I was supposed to go to Youngjae’s house to get ready for the party but I haven’t even changed myself”.

Mark pouts a little. He wasn’t expecting Jinyoung to invite him to the party since it has been only two weeks since they met; but it still hurts a little that he didn’t even tell him.

“I wanted to ask you to come with me” Jinyoung says, feeling mad at himself for not telling the other sooner. “But I always forgot. I also didn’t know if you had already a plan so…”

“I don’t” Mark quickly says, really wanting to join Jinyoung.

“You really don’t?” Jinyoung asks incredulous.

“No, I don’t” Mark denies. “I want to go if that’s fine with you”.

Jinyoung smiles widely, truly happy that he’s going to take Mark to Youngjae’s party. He’s so going to tell everybody that Mark is his date so they would feel jealous because they don’t have a hot guy besides them like Jinyoung has.

“Then it’s a date” Jinyoung says, “I’m going to call Youngjae to let him know we’re going to be a bit late”.

Mark nods and as soon as Jinyoung disappears through the door he takes out his own phone and dials his best friend’s number.

“Hey, Mark” Jaebum greets him from the other side.

“Jaebum, I’m so sorry” Mark quickly blurts out, knowing that Jaebum is going to be mad at him but he really wants to go with Jinyoung. “I can’t come tonight to our appointment. My crush has just asked me to accompany him to a party and I really want to go”.

“Are you seriously ditching me for your crush?” Jaebum asks bothered; but for some reason he doesn’t really sound as angry as Mark though he would.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But please, Jaebum! I like this boy so much!”

Jaebum sighs.

“We have been planning this for a while, Mark”.

“I know. I’m so, so sorry Jae. But please understand me. It was you who told me I had to meet more people”.

“Yeah but-“

“And didn’t you say that you wanted me to be happy?”

“Yes but-“

“And that you were so, so happy that I found someone to love?”

“Mark”.

“Yes?”

There’s silence from the other line for a few seconds before Jaebum speaks again.

“You owe me a big one”.

Mark smiles and chants ‘thank you, thank you’ over and over again until Jaebum ends the call.

Mark sits on the couch and waits for Jinyoung to come back. The younger does after a while, and Mark notices that he has changed his clothes. He’s fully convinced that Jinyoung could wear a sack and still look like a prince.

“Youngjae is so happy that you’re coming” Jinyoung announces, picking his keys up from the table. “He wasn’t even mad that I couldn’t go with him”.

“How nice by his side” Mark says with a smile.

“I told you, he’s the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet” Jinyoung says, guiding Mark towards the door. “Now let’s go to your house so you can change your clothes”.

Mark nods and follows him quietly. He doubts there is a person who could possibly be sweeter than the boy in front of him, but he doesn’t say it loud.

 

Youngjae has just arrived to the club with Yugyeom and his friend Jungkook and is already hyped only thinking about the night. His goal for now is getting to dance with each one of his four boys at least one song.

“Wow, there’s already a lot of people” Jungkook comments.

“I’ve invited my entire class” Youngjae answers, “but we haven’t booked the place so there’s also going to be more people besides us”.

Jungkook nods. Yugyeom searches for a place to sit while Youngjae offers to get some drinks for the three of them while they wait for the others to arrive.

He rests both elbows on the counter as he waits for the bartender to give him his order. He spaces out for a moment and he misses another boy approaching him until said male places his hand on the counter beside him with a loud thump.

“Hey handsome” the boy says staring at him in the eyes.

The boy seems to be around his age and has blonde hair pushed backwards so his forehead is showing. The boy has nice features and is wearing a half opened blue shirt that reveals part of his toned body.

Youngjae stares back curiously at him. He doesn’t remember this boy so he must be one of the customers of the club. He would remember if he had invited this dazzling human to his party.

“Hi” Youngjae timidly greets.

“Are you here alone?” the man asks him, checking him out from head to toes.

“No, I’m with two friends” Youngjae answers, handing the money to the bartender without diverting his eyes from the handsome male.

“You’re beautiful” the guy says, smiling sexily to him.

“T-thanks” Youngjae says, feeling a bit embarrassed in front of this boy.

“Let’s go to space” the boy suddenly says.

“Huh?” Youngjae mutters, confused by the strange question.

“Youngjae!”

He turns around searching for the person who has just called his name and smiles as he sees Jackson walking towards him with Jooheon by his side.

“Jacks!” Youngjae shouts, hugging the other tightly when they reach him.

“What are you doing here all alone?” Jackson asks him.

“I wasn’t alone” Youngjae says, remembering the blonde boy. “I was with-“

His words get caught in his mouth as he turns around but the boy is nowhere to be found. Youngjae frowns, wondering if he has just imagined it.

“No one is here, baby otter” Jackson says with a chuckle, watching Youngjae’s cute confused face.

“But he was right here…” Youngjae says, pointing to the spot the boy was occupying.

“Whatever baby” Jackson says, ordering two more beers for himself and Jooheon. “Is Jinyoung here already?”

“He called and told me he was going to be a bit late” Youngjae says, hugging Jooheon too after greeting him. “He’s bringing a date, you know?”

“Is he?” Jackson asks shocked. “I thought he was going to die single”.

“He’s been after this guy for two weeks I think, but he didn’t want to introduce him to me until tonight”.

“Normally I would embarrass him in front of his date, but I also want Jinyoung to be happy so I’ll let it be for tonight”.

Youngjae smiles to him, and Jackson thinks that they should congratulate Youngjae’s parents instead for gifting the world with this wonderful human being.

Youngjae guides them to where Yugyeom and Jungkook are sitting. Upon seeing Jackson Yugyeom quickly moves to sit by Youngjae’s side, with Jackson doing the same. Yugyeom glares at him and Jackson does the same before greeting the rest of their friends.

Few minutes later Jinyoung arrives holding hands with a blonde guy that Youngjae supposes is Mark. He smiles, happy that his best friend got himself a truly good looking date.

“Hello everyone” Jinyoung greets, pushing Mark a bit forward so the others can see how handsome his date is. “This is my date Mark”.

“Hi” Mark timidly salutes with a bow.

“I thought you said you were going to be a bit late” Youngjae says, offering his hand to Mark for a shake. “You’re still early”.

“I know. I thought we would spend more time changing clothes but turns out that Mark looks handsome in everything”.

“He’s exaggerating” Mark says blushing a bit. He’s internally melting because of how proud Jinyoung seems to be of him. “He’s the one who looks like a prince with everything he wears”.

The other five persons stare at the two in awe. Jinyoung looks shocked at Mark due to the unexpected compliment but relaxes when he sees Mark smiling gently to him.

“Well, let’s sit” Jinyoung says, sitting in front of Youngjae who is smiling happily to him.

“He’s nice Jinyoung” Youngjae whispers to him as Mark sits by Jinyoung’s side.

“He’s mine” Jinyoung warns him.

“Relax; I don’t want to steal him away from you. And I think that even if I’d try I wouldn’t succeed. He seems to like you too”.

“What are you guys whispering about?” Jackson asks. “It’s not polite to let the rest of your friends out of the conversation”.

“I was just telling Jinyoung that Mark is very nice” Youngjae says.

“Thank you” Mark says.

“He’s a bit shy tho” Yugyeom intervenes. “Where do you guys met?”

Mark stares at Jinyoung waiting for him to answer. His crush told him that Coco is a surprise and he can’t mention anything about it in front of Youngjae but didn’t tell him what to say in case his friends asked.

Luckily neither of the two has to answer as the voices of Kihyun and Minhyuk greeting them steal all the attention away from them.

“Oh, who is him?” Minhyuk asks Jinyoung pointing at the guy by his side.

“He’s my date, Mark” Jinyoung answers him, placing an arm around Mark’s shoulders. “Mark, these are my co-worker Minhyuk and his friend Kihyun”.

“Nice to meet you” Mark says while bowing to them too.

“See, Jinyoung got a date but you’re still single” Kihyun comments casually.

“Shut up” Minhyuk mutters taking a seat next to Jinyoung.

“I’m also single” Jooheon comments, feeling sympathy for the poor Minhyuk.

“Me too” Jungkook adds.

“We’re all single in fact” Youngjae says, earning dejected glances from Yugyeom, Jackson and Kihyun.

“For the moment” Jinyoung adds in a lower tone.

Mark blushes by his side as he feels Jinyoung intertwining their fingers together.

“Oh, there’s Changkyun!” Youngjae happily announces, standing up and running towards Changkyun with three annoyed pair of eyes following him.

“Hi Youngjae” Changkyun greets him as Youngjae throws himself onto him, leaving his other three suitors perplexed.

“I’m so happy you came!” Youngjae exclaims, hugging Changkyun tighter.

“My friend was going to accompany me but he had to go in the last minute” Changkyun says as Youngjae drags him towards their table. “The model agency hired him. He asked me to congratulate you in his name”.

“But that’s amazing! Thank him for me”.

Changkyun smiles to him. Youngjae pushes Yugyeom away from him and makes room for Changkyun to sit by his side.

“Guys, this is Changkyun” Youngjae announces. “Since his friend couldn’t make it he’s going to be my partner for today. Treat him well!”

This triggers the glares of Yugyeom and Kihyun meanwhile Jackson is still laughing at Yugyeom because he was separated from Youngjae.

“I brought something for you” Changkyun says, handing Youngjae the bag he was carrying and that Youngjae failed to notice.

“Really?” Youngjae asks excitedly. “A gift for me?”

Changkyun nods. Youngjae gladly takes the bad from him and opens it. He knows he said he didn’t want any present but the fact that Changkyun gave one to him nevertheless makes him really happy.

“Wow, it’s so cute!” Youngjae says, hugging the otter plushie from Changkyun.

“I saw it in a store and I thought you would like it” Changkyun says, grinning happily as he sees Youngjae squishing the plushie. “It was my first time buying something that wasn’t a teddy bear”.

“It’s perfect, thank you so much!” Youngjae says, leaving the plushie by his side between Jackson and him to reward Changkyun with a kiss on the cheek.

“I also brought something for you!” Jackson quickly announces, offering Youngjae another bag.

“Another present for me?” Youngjae curiously asks.

Jackson nods. Youngjae opens it and takes out a notebook decorated with Squirtles and a pen matching with it.

“This is so cute!” Youngjae exclaims, examining the object with shining eyes.

“You wanted to write your own songs so I bought it for you” Jackson explains. “And I chose the Squirtle one so you would think of me while doing it”.

“Thank you Jacks!” Youngjae says before pecking Jackson’s cheek.

“I also brought something for you” Kihyun says, placing a cake on the table in front of Youngjae.

“You made me a birthday cake?” Youngjae asks shocked.

“Well, you always compliment my cooking so I thought _why not_?” Kihyun says with a wide grin, seeing the annoyed faces of Yugyeom, Jackson and Changkyun. “Also, I called Jinyoung and he told me that you hadn’t bought a cake so I told him I would make one for you”.

Jinyoung grins happily while Jackson glares at him, feeling betrayed.

“Looks delicious!” Youngjae happily exclaims, also rewarding Kihyun with a kiss on the cheek. “Let’s eat!”

“Wait” Jinyoung says, “Isn’t one of your boys missing?”

“He’s coming later” Youngjae answers, “I’ll save a piece of it for him”.

Kihyun grimaces, not wanting naughty Im Jaebum to eat his precious cake.

 

It’s almost midnight already but everyone is pretty much occupied to notice, with the exception of Jinyoung whose goal is to be the first to wish a happy birthday to his best friend. He looks at Youngjae, who is constantly shifting his attention from boy to boy since they finished eating the cake and his suitors started to fight for his attention.

“Only one minute left” Mark whispers to him.

Jinyoung smiles gently to him. Mark is his accomplice in his mission of being the first to congratulate the birthday boy. How could he say no, when the younger was pleading him with that cute pout and those precious eyes of his?

Jinyoung checks one last time the current situation before midnight comes. Minhyuk and Jooheon are absorbed in whatever story Jungkook is telling them, meanwhile Jackson is trying to get Youngjae’s attention by showing off his muscles, who is listening closely to Kihyun’s story. The latter is happy until Youngjae turns his head and asks Changkyun his opinion about it, who is more than willing to answer and extend it as long as he can. Yugyeom is just laughing for the moment at Jackson’s failed attempt of catching Youngjae’s attention.

“Happy birthday!” Jinyoung screams loudly, also throwing himself onto Youngjae as if his life depended on it.

“Thank you Jinyoungie!” Youngjae also yells while hugging his best friend happily.

The other four boys stare at the best friends feeling ashamed that they weren’t the first ones to do it to gain Youngjae’s favour.

When Jinyoung frees Youngjae is Mark’s turn to congratulate the birthday boy, followed by Minhyuk, Jooheon and Jungkook.

The other four boys launch themselves onto Youngjae at the same time, almost crushing the poor Jungkook who was still hugging Youngjae and that had to run away for his dear life.

“Happy birthday!” the four say in unison.

They all turn to glare at each other while Youngjae tries to breath under the other boys.

“Hey, stop it!” Jinyoung nags at them, already removing the boys away from Youngjae. “You’re suffocating him!”

After realizing that Youngjae is breathing heavily the four of them leave him in peace while apologizing, but still glaring at each other.

“I’m okay, don’t worry” Youngjae says, still grinning happily at how affectionate his boys are; not minding the fact that he could have died under the boys’ weight.

After the incident, everybody starts acting normal again. Youngjae smiles in delight, enjoying so much the party even when it has barely started. He suddenly feels his phone vibrating inside his pants and he takes it out; his smile widening as he sees that he has a new message from Jaebum.

_Happy birthday sunshine! You may have your surprise sooner than expected ;)_

Youngjae quickly types an ‘I can’t wait’ with a winking emoji before placing the phone back inside his pocket. He then notices Changkyun trying to get his attention and he gives in, feeling overwhelmed when the other boys try to gain his attention too.

_Best birthday ever_ , he thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! Here you have the first part of Youngjae's birthday party. Things are getting intense and Jaebum hasn't even arrived yet^^ And Mark tho xD He dumped Jb without even blinking. Will they meet at the party or not?  
> And who is the mysterious blonde guy that approached Youngjae? Maybe he'll make another unexpected appearance in the next chapter, who knows...  
> Btw, I made a playlist for this story! (I love making playlists okay?) Maybe the first """song""" will help you finding out who is Youngjae's mysterious suitor^^  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3
> 
>  
> 
> Link to Everybody Loves Youngjae playlist:  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhhiKQliXIk&list=PLyqYJjXsX3L9KojXbq2nZhOj4fesSheca


	13. Birthday Kisses

An hour after almost everyone has left their table. Mark and Jinyoung left searching for a quieter place to talk, meanwhile Jungkook, Minhyuk and Jooheon left to join the crowd of people having fun at the dancefloor. Youngjae is at the bar counter with Changkyun, who he dragged there after saying that he’s the guest of honour and because of that he gets a special benefit. Changkyun didn’t have any complain; but the three persons left behind at the table definitely have.

“He got here the last” Jackson whines, glaring at the happy couple at the bar counter along with his two companions. “Who does he think he is stealing our Youngjae away like that?”

“We’ve known him for almost four years” Yugyeom complains. “For how long does he know Youngjae? Three, four days? Maybe a week?”

“That still can’t compare with how much time have we known him. Honestly, I would prefer any of you occupying the spot he’s occupying right now but not him”.

Kihyun suddenly gets up, startling Jackson and Yugyeom.

“You’re right” Kihyun says, taking a step towards where Youngjae and Changkyun are standing. “I’m going to put that boy in his place. I’ll take care of both of you later but for now we should defeat this common enemy first”.

Surprisingly Jackson and Yugyeom agree with him and even send their cheers for him. Kihyun walks confidently towards Youngjae, who is truly focused on something Changkyun is telling him.

“What’s so interesting?” Kihyun asks, forcing a smile to Youngjae and Changkyun.

“Changkyun told me he used to do archery some time ago” Youngjae answers, smiling brightly to him. “He even won a few awards! Isn’t it amazing?”

“Minhyuk used to do archery too” Kihyun says in an unfazed tone staring intensely at Changkyun, whose body shudders in fear. “He won some awards too. What’s so fascinating about that?”

Youngjae’s smile falls at that, sensing the tension between his two friends. He wants everyone to get along with each other and have a good time, but Kihyun doesn’t seem to be cooperating. And now Changkyun isn’t cooperating either by glaring back at Kihyun.

“I sense some tension between you guys” he says, taking both their wrists. “Tonight I don’t want any of that. This night is supposed to be about relaxing and having fun, so you both are coming with me”.

Both Changkyun and Kihyun allow Youngjae to drag their bodies with him, but both also stare confusedly at him not understanding what Youngjae wants from them. Fortunately -or unfortunately- they don’t have to wait longer as Youngjae pushes both of them inside a storage room and unlocks the door after.

“I’m not letting you out until you both solve your problems!” Youngjae yells from the other side of the door.

After making sure that they aren’t killing each other Youngjae walks away from the storage and searches for the rest of his friends. He doesn’t see any of them near, so he just shrugs his shoulders and enters the dancefloor, moving his body along with the rest of people there. This night is his night. He’s supposed to be having fun. He’s supposed to be enjoying himself tonight so that is all what he’s going to do for now on.

He has been one minute into the dancefloor when someone taps his shoulder. When he turns around he finds himself face to face with the same blonde guy from earlier.

“Hi beautiful” the guy says with a seductive smirk.

“Wait” Youngjae mumbles while separating a bit from the man. “I’m not sure if you’re real or not”.

The smirk on the guy’s face intensifies even more after Youngjae says that. He then grabs Youngjae’s hand and presses it against his firm ass.

“You tell me if this is real or not” the boy playfully says.

Youngjae boldly grapples it, feeling its firmness even more.

“Definitely real” Youngjae answers, rewarding the boy with a soft squeeze of his butt.

The boy smiles satisfied before letting Youngjae go. He lets his palm linger for a brief moment on his ass, internally glad that he was given the opportunity to feel that ass. He would totally tap it.

_To hell_ , Youngjae thinks as he taps it.

“My name is Shin Hoseok” the guy says, gladly satisfied with the tap.

“Choi Youngjae” Youngjae says while offering his hand to him.

Hoseok grabs Youngjae’s hand and pulls him closer to whisper in his ear.

“You can tap my ass anytime you want”.

Youngjae smiles at that and whispers a somewhat shy ‘thank you’ before releasing Hoseok.

“Tell me, beautiful” Hoseok says. “Are you here alone?”

“I’m here with my friends” Youngjae answers, and just at that moment he hears Yugyeom calling out his name. “He’s one of them”.

Hoseok nods at him and smiles. Youngjae smiles too before turning around to meet Yugyeom, who struggles a bit to pass through the crowd of people dancing around him.

“What are you doing here alone?” Yugyeom asks when he finally reaches him.

“I’m not alone. I’m with-“

Youngjae’s sentence gets cut in between when he turns around but Hoseok is nowhere to be seen. He has vanished in the air again.

“You were with…?” Yugyeom asks.

“Forget it. Wanna dance?”

Yugyeom smiles and Youngjae takes his hand in his, leading him to a less crowded spot where they can dance together comfortably without stepping on other people.

This is the opportunity Yugyeom has been waiting for. Dancing is his forte; if he wants to seduce Youngjae he’s confident he can count on his dancing skills to do it. So when Youngjae starts dancing by his side he wastes no time and starts giving the best of him, dancing seductively in front of him.

At first Youngjae tries to ignore him; tries to ignore the way his hips roll and thrust into the air with so much strength Youngjae fears his hips will break if he continues like that. He tries to ignore the extremely sexy look on Yugyeom’s face as he dances, truly enjoying himself, biting his lips unnecessarily and sometimes looking at him in the eyes as if he was trying to bewitch Youngjae with it. He tries to ignore him when he’s practically grinding against his body because _oh my God I can’t do this or else Jinyoung is so going to kill me_.

Yugyeom sees the hesitance in Youngjae’s eyes and decides to take a step further. He stops dancing and instead holds Youngjae softly by the waist. The older seems to be taken out from his trance as he stares into Yugyeom’s eyes confusedly. The younger stares back at him, and there’s a brief moment of just looking at each other before Yugyeom leans closer and kisses Youngjae.

Yugyeom’s eyes are closed as he kisses Youngjae slowly but tenderly, but Youngjae’s are opened and he blinks twice before surrendering to the kiss. He kisses back carefully, as if he was still hesitant of getting involved with Yugyeom.

The disgusted face of Jinyoung crosses his mind suddenly and Youngjae pulls away from the kiss. Yugyeom looks at him surprised but doesn’t say anything.

“I…” Youngjae starts muttering, his heart breaking a bit at the sight of Yugyeom’s slightly disappointed face. “I have to go to the bathroom. Sorry”.

Yugyeom lets him go, still staring at him a bit annoyed and utterly confused about Youngjae’s behaviour. But he kissed him back, didn’t he? That’s a great signal.

With that thought in mind Yugyeom shrugs his shoulders and continues dancing, alone this time but equally happy because even when it’s Youngjae’s birthday he was the one gifted with a kiss from Youngjae.

 

“Jinyoung, are you okay?”

Jinyoung takes a look at Mark’s worried face and quickly smiles, feeling regretful that he made the elder worry.

“Yes, I’m fine” he answers. “It was just a shiver, don’t worry”.

Mark nods but still seems unconvinced. Jinyoung then changes the subject and asks Mark about his family to force him to talk.

He turns around slightly, taking a look at the dancefloor. He sees Yugyeom dancing happily there alone; no signs of Youngjae being near him. He smirks to himself and forgets about the younger, focusing on what Mark is talking about.

But he can’t quite shake the feeling that something happened behind his back and he prays it doesn’t involve Youngjae and Yugyeom together or he swears he’s going to kill someone.

 

Youngjae rushes through the crowd of people, tripping a bit before reaching the bathroom door. He quickly enters, opening the water tap and splashing some of it on his face trying to calm him down.

“This isn’t happening” Youngjae mutters to himself. “I can’t fall for Yugyeom. He’s like a little brother to me, and I’m already in love with another four persons and Jinyoung is going to kill me if he knows what happened”.

He closes the tap, staring at his own reflection in the mirror.

“Youngjae, you’re a mess” he says to it.

He sighs and turns around, almost bumping into Jackson who just came in.

“Hey otter” Jackson says, grabbing Youngjae by the waist. “Are you okay?”

Youngjae can’t help but smile at him. Jackson is always there for him when he needs him the most. He always says he’s a sunshine but to Youngjae Jackson is the actual ray of sunshine people needs in their lives to be happy.

“I am now” Youngjae says, placing his hands on Jackson’s shoulders for support.

The smile Youngjae gives to Jackson is so bright it could blind the sun. Jackson pulls him closer and Youngjae takes the chance to wrap his arms around his neck.

“Is something troubling you, my little otter?” Jackson whispers sweetly to him, swinging Youngjae between his arms.

“It’s something without importance, don’t worry” Youngjae answers, caressing Jackson’s hair at the back of his head.

“You have to be happy on your birthday, my baby otter. This day is for you to enjoy, so you can’t be sad. You know I’m here for you, and I won’t let anything ruin your day”.

Youngjae smiles before reducing the space between their faces to whisper on Jackson’s ear.

“Then can you make me feel better?”

The implication of it gets clear to Jackson who smirks before pressing Youngjae’s back to the sink, his body clasped tightly against his. Youngjae is already prepared before Jackson closes the gap between them and their lips meet in a passionate but soft kiss. Jackson withdraws his hands from Youngjae’s waist and cups his face with them. Youngjae grabs Jackson’s shoulders again and pulls him impossibly closer.

Someone else enters the bathroom but they don’t care as they kiss again and again, more desperately each time. Jackson bites Youngjae’s lower lip and he moans, so Jackson takes it as a cue to deepen the kiss. Youngjae quickly cooperates, kissing back with the same urgency and inserting one of his hands under Jackson’s shirt. He feels Jackson’s toned abs and he grunts, a bit desperate to have them even closer; preferably against his own bare skin.

Just as Jackson is about to do the same with Youngjae, he feels the younger’s phone vibrating in his pocket. Youngjae feels it too, quickly separating from Jackson as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t. He takes it out and unlocks it, smiling as he reads the message.

“I have to go” Youngjae says, hurriedly retrieving the phone back to his pocket before exiting the room, leaving a sexually frustrated but still happy Jackson behind.

 

Jaebum waits outside the club, not really in the mood to go inside. His plan is to give his present to Youngjae, spend some time with him and then leave and think about how Mark can pay back the favour he owes him.

He hears his name being called and he turns around, smiling genuinely as he sees Youngjae happily running towards him.

“Happy birthday!” Jaebum says, opening his arms for a hug.

“Thank you so much for coming!” Youngjae says, giving Jaebum his desired hug.

“Hey” Jaebum says, pushing Youngjae aside to look at him in the eye. “You asked me to come. How could I possibly not come when you look at me with that extremely cute face of yours?”

Youngjae smiles shyly but also gladly to him, making Jaebum grin even wider.

“I’m still so happy you came. I’ve been waiting so much for you”.

“Oh, you did? Your guests shouldn’t be too interesting then”.

“Don’t be rude! You were doing fine until you said that”.

“Sorry. I’m not in a good mood. My friend ditched me in the last minute for his stupid crush. Can you believe him? We plan this for months and he just leaves me hanging for some other guy he’s hooked by”.

“I can relate”.

Youngjae smiles to him angelically and Jaebum forgets about Mark and how whipped his friend is for his crush. The only thing that matters now for Jaebum is that Youngjae is here, smiling and telling him that he was waiting for him to come. He thinks he can get accustomed to this.

He definitely can replace his disloyal best friend for this smiling angel who will provide him with more happiness and love than his best friend apparently gives him.

“Well, let’s stop talking about him” Jaebum says, feeling his mood lifted thanks to Youngjae’s smile. “He doesn’t deserve it. Let’s talk about our birthday boy here who still hasn’t received a gift from me. Close your eyes”.

Youngjae claps his hands excitedly before closing his eyes, eager to receive Jaebum’s present. Jaebum smirks at the enthusiasm and takes the gift out of his pocket. He walks to stand behind Youngjae, and once there he takes a deep breath. He feels strangely nervous and he wonders when the last time someone made him feel this anxious was. Probably the only one who made him feel like that was Mark, but it still doesn’t compare with how he feels right now. He loved Mark but Youngjae… there’s something else about Youngjae that makes him fall deeper and deeper every time he sees him.

He carefully leans in and kisses softly the skin of Youngjae’s neck. Youngjae smiles at it, but he quickly opens his eyes on surprise as he feels something else caressing his neck. He touches it and realizes that Jaebum’s gift is a leather choker.

“I saw it in a store and thought that it would look good on you” Jaebum mutters as he struggles to tie it up.

Youngjae takes out his phone and opens the camera. He checks himself out and he has to agree with Jaebum: it definitely looks good on him.

(But not as good as Jaebum behind him though. He secretly takes a selfie just before Jaebum finishes tying it and saves his phone back, acting as if nothing happened).

“It’s beautiful” Youngjae mumbles, feeling the leather with his fingers.

“Honestly,” Jaebum says, standing again in front of Youngjae, “you’re the one who makes it beautiful. And this comes from someone who loves wearing leather”.

Youngjae smiles at that and reaches out to hold Jaebum’s hand in his.

“Thank you” he says, “I appreciate it very much”.

Jaebum smiles too.

“I think I’m going to wear it every day” Youngjae adds.

Jaebum frowns. He choose this gift for Youngjae but now he’s starting to regret his decision because it looks too good on Youngjae and if he keeps wearing it every day for Jaebum to see he’s going to die.

_Torture_ , Jaebum thinks. _That’s what waits for me: days of pure torture. Why did I choose to buy it for him? Why?_

_Okay; it was because I thought it’d be hot. I should have thought with the head instead of with the dick and realize that buying it was going to backfire me._

“But your kiss sucked”.

“WHAT?” Jaebum asks loudly.

Youngjae merely shrugs his shoulders.

“I was expecting so much from that kiss” Youngjae says. “What a disappointment”.

Jaebum stares confusedly at him. Youngjae sounds so serious about it that Jaebum starts to wonder if he has screwed it and if it’s not too late and still can be mended.

But Youngjae doesn’t allow him to think about it much as he mumbles an almost imperceptible ‘I guess I’ll have to teach you’ before pressing his body tight against Jaebum and kissing him hungrily, as if he would have been longing for that kiss.

After the initial shock Jaebum eagerly responds to the kiss, embracing Youngjae against his chest and securing him between his arms. Youngjae takes it as an incentive to go further and pushes Jaebum closer by grabbing the neck of Jaebum’s leather jacket. Jaebum kisses him even more hungrily than Youngjae does, as if he had been starving for days and Youngjae was his meal.

And boy, what delicious meal has been served to Jaebum.

A voice in Youngjae’s head is encouraging him to go further, to continue with this and don’t stop until the end, meanwhile another voice is telling him to stop before things get worse and he ends up hurt by it.

Somehow Jaebum senses something going on inside Youngjae so he deepens the kiss, hoping to create a distraction big enough for Youngjae to forget about whatever is troubling him. He embraces him tighter, but still carefully to let Youngjae know that he has him and that he’s safe with him. The very same moment Youngjae answers to the kiss deepening it more and clinging to Jaebum, the other understands that no matter what happens with them, Jaebum will always be there for Youngjae because, even though he doesn’t seem so, Youngjae is a fragile person. He needs to be cherished and protected from all danger and Jaebum is willing to be Youngjae’s comfort zone whenever the younger needs him.

He should be scared of how intense his feelings for Youngjae are; but he doesn’t care. After years of searching for the one he finally has found someone who is worthy of being loved. And this time Jaebum is going to put everything in for Youngjae’s love.

They break the kiss gasping for air. After catching his breath again Youngjae smiles at Jaebum and Jaebum smiles back.

“Come inside and dance with me” Youngjae gently commands him.

Jaebum wants to say no and go home as he had planned but instead he finds his head nodding excitedly and he realizes that he really doesn’t want to let go of Youngjae, at least no so soon; so he allows Youngjae to pull from his arm and tug him inside of the club, dragging him to the dancefloor.

Once inside Youngjae frees Jaebum and starts dancing freely, but always keeping his gaze on Jaebum. The latter chuckles at his wildness and observes him dancing extravagantly a while more before he decides to join.

 

“Seriously Jinyoung, are you okay? You seem out of your mind tonight”.

Jinyoung sighs and places his empty glass on the table.

“I’m worried about Coco” Jinyoung answers. “I’ve left her completely alone in my house and I feel bad about it. What if something happened to her?”

Mark’s worried face softens as he hears Jinyoung’s answer. He smiles at Jinyoung’s cuteness and takes his hand in his, drawing circles with his thumb at the back of his palm to calm him down.

“Jinyoung, do you realize she’s a dog, don’t you? She’s not a baby. I’m sure she’s fine and probably going to spend all night only sleeping until tomorrow morning”.

“But what if she wakes up and she’s thirsty? I left water for her but what if it isn’t enough? And what if she feels lonely?”

Mark chuckles at that, and Jinyoung realizes then that probably he’s freaking out more than he should because Mark, Coco’s dad, is there by his side laughing instead of making a ruckus as he is.

“I’m sorry” Jinyoung says, “I’m such a party-pooper, am I not?”

Mark stops laughing at that and he stares deadly serious into Jinyoung’s eyes.

“Of course not” Mark answers. “It only shows that you care a lot for her. Listen, if you’re going to keep worrying about her why don’t we go home so you can check that everything is alright?”

“Well, I really want to go home with her, and I know Youngjae won’t be mad because…well, because I bet he’s too busy to even notice were gone. But what about you, Mark? I brought you here because I wanted you to have fun”.

“If you’re not here then it won’t be fun” Mark answers whole-heartedly. “I came here with you, so if you’re leaving I’m leaving with you”.

“You can stay if you want. I won’t be mad, I promise”.

“Jinyoung, don’t you understand? I won’t have fun if you’re not here! So please stop saying nonsense and let’s go”.

Mark stands up and smiles at him. Jinyoung stands up too and guides him towards the exit, both still not letting go of the other’s hand. When they’re almost out Jinyoung stops and finally frees Mark’s hand.

“I’m going to tell Youngjae that we’re leaving” Jinyoung says. “I’ll be back in no time”.

Mark nods and watches him disappearing through the crowd of people at the dancefloor.

Jinyoung walks for a bit searching for his friend, and just when he’s about to give up finding him because the amount of bodies moving around him is suffocating him he spots Youngjae, arms on the shoulders of an unknown guy as he jumps excitedly in sync with the music. The other boy just stares at him with a wide grin plastered in his face, and Jinyoung can’t help but smile because the way this boy looks at Youngjae is the way Jinyoung wants his friend to be looked at: with nothing but pure love for him.

He stares at them for a bit more, just in time to see Youngjae laughing along with the other guy. He smiles too, glad that his friend is having fun and being happy on his birthday; and now that he has made sure of it he can leave in peace.

He walks back, pushing some sweaty bodies aside to find his own source of happiness, and he finally sees him by the door, staring at the floor while bouncing a bit on his feet. Jinyoung grins, diving a bit more in Mark’s handsomeness before walking towards him. Mark quickly notices him and smiles, offering his hand to him with a smile.

As he accepts Mark’s hand and they both walk side by side towards his house, Jinyoung mentally thanks whoever decided to put Mark in his life because he definitely is the best thing to ever happen to him.

 

Youngjae’s exhausted head collapses against Jaebum’s firm chest and Jaebum holds him tight in case Youngjae’s body gives up and falls to the floor. After just jumping and dancing around he’s started to get tired, and he’s glad Jaebum is there to catch him or else he would be totally wasted on the floor.

“You okay?” Jaebum asks him, truly concerned about his well-being.

“Yes, I’m alright” he answers, “I just need to rest”.

Jaebum nods and allows Youngjae to nuzzle his head on his neck. They just stay still for two minutes, before Youngjae remembers that he left two of his friends locked in a room a while before.

“Oh my God” Youngjae exclaims suddenly. “I really need to go!”

Jaebum frowns but barely has time to say anything before Youngjae frees himself from his embrace and runs through the mass of bodies dancing on the dancefloor.

 

“Hey kid” Kihyun says threateningly, startling Changkyun who is sitting at the opposite side of the room and was just staring at the floor in silence the whole time. “Do not think that only because Youngjae wants us to be friends I am going to befriend you. Youngjae is mine so back off”.

Changkyun stares at him bewildered for a moment.

“You know, I was close to try working things out between us but I don’t think I want to be your friend either” he answers, regaining his composure and glaring back at Kihyun.

“The feeling is mutual. And don’t think either that you and I are the only ones after Youngjae. If you really want him you’re really going to have to fight for him. And I’m warning you: you’re fucked”.

“I think I’m just going to pretend that I like you and then I’m going to destroy you. But don’t worry, after that I’ll find a way to get rid of all the other suitors”.

“You’re pretty confident for someone who has only known Youngjae for three days”.

Changkyun is about to argue that they are more than just three days but suddenly the door burst opened, revealing an exhausted Youngjae looking apologetically at them.

“Have you solved your problems?” he asks.

Kihyun and Changkyun look at each other and then both of them stare at Youngjae with big smiles plastered on their faces.

“Of course! We’re super friends now” Changkyun answers.

Youngjae scans them for a moment but then smiles pleased.

“Then you can go out!” he yells, making way for the new ‘super friends’ to go out from the room.

They take a step forwards and try getting out from the room at the same time, but the door is not big enough so they both bump against it. Kihyun turns to glare at Changkyun and as he sees the latter smiling he’s reminded that Youngjae is watching them and then smiles too, sliding to the side so Changkyun can get out first.

“Thank you” Changkyun says in a high-pitched voice that makes Kihyun want to punch him badly.

“I think I’m going home” Kihyun announces, feeling a bit tired.

“This early?” Youngjae asks, staring at Kihyun with hopeful eyes.

“I would want to stay, Youngjae” he says, feeling a bit sad as he sees Youngjae’s smile fading from his face. “But today was a bit exhausting and I feel really tired”.

“I understand” Youngjae says after a long sigh. “Let me at least escort you out”.

Kihyun gladly nods and allows Youngjae to lead the way, dragging him away by holding his hand. When he’s sure Youngjae is not looking, he turns around and sticks his tongue out at Changkyun, who frowns and glares at them all the way out.

“I can continue from now on” Kihyun says after passing through the most crowded spot of their journey. “Thank you, Youngjae. It was really nice. I had a good time”.

“I wish you could stay longer” Youngjae says while pouting.

Kihyun chuckles and caresses Youngjae’s cheek with the palm of his hand.

“You know I would do it if I could, but my body is exhausted. We still can meet another day, right?”

“Of course! I’ll call you!”

“Great. Good night, birthday boy”.

Kihyun smiles to him and walks towards the door but Youngjae grabs his arm, preventing him from going on. Kihyun stares confused at him but then Youngjae pulls him by the arm and joins their lips together in a chaste kiss.

Youngjae tastes like tropic fruits mixed with alcohol but it doesn’t matter as Youngjae’s hands pull Kihyun closer and his lips press against his needier now, and Kihyun is eager to part his lips and let Youngjae savour him. Kihyun smiles into the kiss before pulling Youngjae closer by his hips and Youngjae assists him by tugging at his jacket.

 

Jaebum searches through the crowd of people for Youngjae. He feels as if he was a lost sheep without his shepherd. He really doesn’t care if he pushes someone aside; his solely goal now is to find Youngjae and resume what they were doing before he left.

But he’s not happy when he finally finds him. He first sees the bunch of pink hair and immediately recognizes its owner, and then is when he sees his precious angel pulling the other in for a kiss.

Jaebum feels as if someone had backstabbed him; but at this same moment he understands something about Youngjae that is crucial and he failed to notice before. He stares at both of them until the kiss is over and Kihyun disappears from his field of vision, leaving Youngjae completely alone until the younger smiles and turns around, getting lost in the turmoil.

As Jaebum makes his way out of the club, he can’t help but wonder if Youngjae’s friends know about Youngjae’s feelings; and if they do, if they truly understand them. He wonders if his suitors are aware that they are only getting a piece of Youngjae’s heart, not the whole thing. He wonders if they know that probably they won’t have the entire heart ever in their entire life.

Jaebum feels his heart ache in his chest but he’s still happy he saw it. Otherwise he wouldn’t have noticed that Youngjae has his heart divided.

 

Jinyoung stares happily by the door at Coco sleeping peacefully on his pet bed. He feels relieved that Coco is fine but at the same time regretful because he made Mark leave the party early because of his concerns. Mark watches him from behind, smiling at the sight. He then checks the hour in his phone and he picks up his jacket with a sigh.

“I should get going” he tells Jinyoung, who turns around and closes the door to his (and Coco’s) room.

“It’s already late, Mark. Why don’t you stay the night?”

Mark smiles before answering.

“If it’s not much of a bother”.

“Of course not” Jinyoung says, grabbing Mark’s jacket and placing it on the coat rack. “You can sleep on my bed. I have a guest room but since no one visits me I’m using it as storage”.

“Oh no, it’s fine. I’ll sleep on the couch”.

“No way. You’re my guest so you have to sleep on the bed”.

“But it’s your bed. Jinyoung, I’m truly fine sleeping on the couch, don’t worry”.

Jinyoung bites his lower lip, thinking of a solution that would please them both. Mark sees him and unconsciously bites his lower lip too; the sight in front of him is too hot to ignore.

“What about sharing the bed?” Jinyoung finally suggests.

For a moment he worries that he has scared Mark away with his boldness, but it quickly fades away as Mark eagerly nods his head and smiles.

“Sounds good to me. If you don’t mind of course”.

Jinyoung smiles devilishly and it sends shivers through Mark’s entire body.

“Of course not”.

Jinyoung leads him to his room where Coco is still asleep and lends him a pyjama before choosing another one for himself and leaving the room to give Mark some privacy.

As they both lay on the bed, arms and legs touching, Jinyoung can’t help but feel glad that his bed is big enough for one person but not for two and they have to get closer to each other to not fall from the bed.

Mark now feels his body getting hotter due to the proximity between them and turns around. From his spot he sees Coco sleeping peacefully and he wonders how can Coco sleep that calmly having Jinyoung in the same room.

He feels something touching his back and he turns his head around slowly. His body suddenly relaxes when he sees that is Jinyoung, already sleeping serenely. Jinyoung’s body is turned his way and his fists are pressed to his back, as if he was searching for his warmth in his sleep. Mark smiles fondly at him before turning around again, taking a glimpse of Coco before closing his eyes.

 

_Where is everyone?_

Youngjae has been searching for his friends for half an hour now but he still hasn’t found any of them. After he was dragged by Jaehwan to the bar counter to get shots with the rest of their class and ending lost in the dancefloor for near an hour, he hadn’t been able to find his friends anywhere.

“I suppose this ends with me” Youngjae mumbles as he walks to the door to get home.

He wishes at least one of his friends would have stayed so they would have helped him carrying his presents to his home; but all of them seem to have vanished in the air except for Kihyun, the only one who had the decency to at least tell him that he was leaving.

Not even his supposed best friend has waited for him. As he walks out of the club he remembers Jaebum telling him how awful his best friend is and he can’t help but snort because his isn’t any better.

He’s too busy making sure that none of his presents fall –especially not the Squirtle notebook and the otter plushie- that he almost misses the bicycle parked next to a tree.

“Hey! Look!”

Youngjae turns around, searching for the owner of the voice. He smiles, glad that at least one of his friends stayed.

Changkyun rushes towards him and helps him with the presents.

“Jesus!” he exclaims, taking the huge white teddy bear away from Youngjae. “Who gave this to you?”

“My tutor, Min Yoongi” Youngjae answers. “He said it looks cute, just like me”.

Changkyun can’t help but smile because well, it’s true. Even though he still thinks that Youngjae is cuter.

“Do you need a ride home?” Changkyun asks casually, half hidden between the white fur of the bear.

“Are you kidding? How are we supposed to carry these presents on your bicycle? I can’t ask you to do that”.

“It’s not a big deal” Changkyun says, taking the smaller presents from Youngjae and placing them on the basket of his bicycle. “See? Now all you have to do is take care of the bear”.

“Thank you so much, Changkyunnie!” Youngjae yells, throwing himself onto Changkyun and embracing him tightly. “I don’t know what I would do without you”.

“Hey, it’s nothing” Changkyun mumbles, separating himself a bit from Youngjae.

“How can I repay it to you?” Youngjae asks him, already hopping on the bicycle.

Changkyun places his finger on his chin and looks at the sky, pensive.

“How about…a kiss?” he requests.

Youngjae’s face brightens at that and quickly lets go of the bear to pull Changkyun closer by the neck of his jacket.

“This time won’t just be a kiss on the cheek” Youngjae warns.

“I wouldn’t expect any less” Changkyun says cockily.

Youngjae smiles one last time at him and then he leans closer, closing the gap between them and taking Changkyun’s lips between his. Changkyun waits a bit before answering back; delivering the same amount of passion he’s receiving. Youngjae’s lips are soft and moist against his, and at this moment he’s glad he decided to stay a bit longer and look after Youngjae.

Youngjae also feels glad that Changkyun stayed behind. At least, one of his friends cares enough to not only wait for him but also offer to ride him home. He feels lucky he met Changkyun, because at this moment he’s the only one who seems reliable to Youngjae.

The kiss ends much to Changkyun’s dismay, but Youngjae’s smile after it happens is enough for Changkyun to feel at ease again. With restored energy he gets on the bicycle, flashing a dazzling grin to Youngjae and then turns around, ready to ride both of them home.

_Best birthday ever_ , Youngjae thinks with a smile as they both disappear through the empty streets of Seoul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! It's been a while since the last time I updated. Mianhae >.< This story is being written extempore and I have to assort the few ideas I want to develop with the improvised things and it takes a while to do it :c  
> Our sexy mysterious guy is Wonho from Monsta X! He will keep making stellar appearances as the story goes by, but don't ask me why he disappears before anyone else can see it because I don't know either but I find it funny.  
> Soooo many things happened in this chapter! That's why it's extra long, I hope you'll enjoy it nevertheless^^  
> (Btw Jb's vlive... my 2jae feels OMG OMG OMG!)  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	14. B-Day

Next morning Yugyeom wakes up early to make a perfect lunch for Youngjae and himself. Last night he was a bit ashamed of himself for not getting a present for Youngjae; he was so focused on his dance lessons that he forgot to buy one.

He takes a shower first and then walks to the kitchen, ready to cook a tasty meal for his beloved one. He checks that he has everything he needs to prepare the most delicious meal he knows but much to his dismay they don’t have noodles. He hurriedly picks keys and wallet and runs to the nearest shop. He buys the ingredients and then comes back home. Fortunately, Youngjae’s door is still closed, signalling that its owner is still in dreamland.

Yugyeom is walking out of the living room to get to the kitchen when someone gets up from the couch and startles him, almost making him drop the food. He relaxes a bit when the other boy turns to him while rubbing his eyes.

“Jesus Christ!” Yugyeom yells, hugging tightly his purchase. “You scared me!”

“Oh, sorry” Changkyun mutters, still sleepy.

“What are you doing in my house?”

Changkyun stares at him for a moment, trying to remember who this guy is. He was at Youngjae’s party, but he didn’t seem very happy to meet Changkyun.

“I rode Youngjae back home last night because he was alone, and since it was late he insisted that I should stay the night here” Changkyun answers, still not figuring this boy’s name out.

Yugyeom’s face softens at that. He was so into dancing at the club that he forgot about Youngjae and even went home without him. He scolds himself mentally for that, and also for the fact that now he will have to be nice to him since he was the only one who stayed with him until the end and also brought him home safe and sound.

“Thank you” Yugyeom says sincerely, “for bringing him home”.

“It’s fine” Changkyun says, stretching his body. “I should get going now”.

Yugyeom stares regretfully at the other guy as he gets up from the couch and grabs his things. Changkyun is almost at the door when Yugyeom calls his name.

“Would you like to stay and have lunch with us? You brought Youngjae home safe, it’s the least I can do for you”.

“It’s fine, really” Changkyun says, having the sensation that this boy doesn’t want to be his friend either. “You probably want to spend this day with Youngjae alone, and I don’t want bad feelings ruining his day, so I’ll just go”.

Now Yugyeom starts to feel really awful for talking bad about Changkyun. He may not like that they are both in love with the same person, but it doesn’t mean that Changkyun is a bad person. In fact, he seems pretty kind and concerned about Youngjae’s well-being.

“Wait” Yugyeom yells, catching Changkyun’s attention. “I’ve brought more noodles than I needed, so there’ll be enough food for the three of us”.

Changkyun stares at him cautiously.

“You won’t poison me, will you?” he asks.

Yugyeom chuckles at that. Changkyun doesn’t really seem like a bad person at all.

“I won’t, I promise” he answers to Changkyun’s relief. “You can even help me if you want”.

Changkyun smiles at him and nods, placing his belongings again on the couch and following Yugyeom to the kitchen.

“I think we didn’t had a proper introduction yesterday” Yugyeom says. “My name is Yugyeom. I’m Youngjae’s housemate”.

“Lim Changkyun” the other says, offering his hand for a shake. “Youngjae’s personal chauffeur”.

Yugyeom smiles at him and accepts his hand. Changkyun smiles too, glad that this guy at least is really trying to be friendly with him unlike Kihyun.

Behind them, a just awaken Youngjae is staring at them with a smile plastered on his face. His birthday morning couldn’t have started better.

 

Jaebum is feeding his three cats when his doorbell rings. He stares at one of his cats, Nora, with a confused face, but Nora just ignores him as she continues eating his meal.

Jaebum leaves his three babies and opens the door. He gets even more confused when he sees who is standing outside with a big smile on his face while holding a bag of take away food in front of him.

“I’m sorry about yesterday!” Mark exclaims apologetically. “I’ve brought you food”.

“Do you think food is enough to pay for ditching me like that?” Jaebum asks displeased.

“Well, I was hoping we could spend the day together… if you don’t have any plans” Mark says while pouting.

Jaebum tries to resist Mark’s cuteness but it’s too much for him, so in the end he just sighs and grabs the bag from Mark’s hands.

“Fine, you can come in” he says, stepping aside so Mark can enter in his house. “But you’re staying the whole day. If you leave I won’t ever talk to you again, you hear me?”

“I won’t go anywhere. I don’t have plans for today”.

Jaebum looks suspiciously at him as Mark starts taking out the food from the bag.

“Really? You’re not seeing your crush today?”

“He has other plans today” Mark answers, smiling for some reason.

“But he’s treating you well, isn’t he?” Jaebum asks, taking a seat besides his best friend.

“Of course, he’s really a good guy. He even let me stay the night at his house”.

“Oh, so you stayed the night” Jaebum says, wriggling his eyebrows.

“Yes, but nothing happened” Mark answers, his cheeks starting to redden. “We only slept together”.

“You slept together?” Jaebum asks him with a smirk plastered on his face.

“Uhm, yeah” Mark answers, not getting the hint. “He insisted that I couldn’t sleep on the couch but I didn’t want to sleep on his bed because well, it’s his, and then he suggested sleeping together and I agreed”.

“So you slept together” Jaebum teasingly repeats.

“Yes, but- wait not like that!” Mark says, finally realizing what Jaebum was hinting. “We only slept together but nothing more!”

“Ohh, how disappointing! I thought you would finally have some action in your life! How long has it been since you last…you know?”

Mark frowns and then slaps Jaebum on the arm.

“I’m not that needy. And you know that I don’t believe in love anymore…”

“Well, you seem too attached to this guy for a boy who doesn’t believe in love”.

Mark stares at him for a moment, and then Jaebum smiles with this shit-eating grin that makes Mark want to punch him, but instead he picks a piece of chicken and shoves it into Jaebum’s mouth without warning.

“Stop talking!” he yells as Jaebum tries to fight him, half laughing half choking. “Look at the amount of delicious food I’ve brought you and now you’re not eating it!”

“Sorry” Jaebum apologizes when he finally gets to chew and swallow the food in his mouth. “But teasing you is so funny”.

Mark glares at him one last time before focusing on the food. Jaebum notices his friend smiling slyly and he smiles too, knowing that it’s a good sign. It has been a while since Jaebum has seen Mark smiling genuinely, and he’s happy that finally things are working well for Mark.

If only things would work fine for him too.

Like Jaebum is able to notice when Mark is happy, Mark is also able to notice when Jaebum is or isn’t. And as he turns to look at his friend he notices that his face has darkened and something is definitely off with him.

“Jaebum” he softly says, “is everything ok?”

Jaebum stares at him for a moment before focusing on the dish of chicken in front of him. Mark now realizes that Jaebum hasn’t touched the food, and he chose the ones his best friend likes more.

“Last night I met him” Jaebum mutters, and Mark immediately knows about who is he talking about. “And everything was going fine but then… then I discovered something disturbing about him”.

Mark stops what he’s doing and just stares at Jaebum. The tone he used to say it was deadly serious and now Mark is truly worried about him.

“What happened?” he asks.

Jaebum sighs.

“I’m not the only boy he likes” he answers dejectedly. “There’s this guy who is best friends with him, and they are close and I was aware that this boy liked him but I didn’t know it was requited”.

“Wow, I’m sorry Jaebum” Mark says, feeling disheartened. He wanted this to work for Jaebum because he seemed so happy talking about this guy, but now his hopes have been destroyed.

“Why are you sorry?” Jaebum asks, staring down at the food and finally picking a piece of chicken.

“Uh, well…” Mark mumbles confusedly. “Aren’t you going to give up knowing that he likes another guy?”

Jaebum stares at him as if Mark had said something unbelievable before continuing eating his meal.

“Of course not” he answers, confusing Mark even more. “Now I have valuable information I can use for my benefit”.

“And that is…?”

“He has his heart divided” Jaebum says seriously, “he likes us both. And who knows, maybe he likes a few guys more”.

Mark stares at him with a shocked face and Jaebum realizes that he made Youngjae sound like a playboy.

“If you knew him you’d understand” he adds. “He’s so pure. He has so much love inside him and he likes to give it to others if he can make them happy with that. Probably he thinks that loving two or more persons at the same time is right but we, the rest of regular humans, are selfish and want him only to ourselves, me included. He’s doing fine for now, but what will happen when one of us asks more of him? Because it’s fated that it will happen at some point. Think about how he would feel. I’ve been doing that all night”.

“Wait, are you telling me that you haven’t slept tonight because you were thinking about this?” Mark worriedly asks.

“I couldn’t sleep. I was trying to figure how to act from now on knowing how he truly feels. And I think I have the solution”.

Mark stares at him intrigued, waiting for Jaebum’s answer. The latter stays silent for a few more seconds just to bother Mark.

“I’m going to stick myself to him until the end” he says, smiling satisfied. “I’ve tried to put myself in his shoes and I think that receiving our love he’s happy but he suffers too. After all, a divided heart is still a broken heart. Imagine that I’m the first one to ask more of him. How do you think he would feel? He would be devastated, having to choose just one of his boys. He’ll suffer, and I can’t prevent it from happening but I can be there with him when he would need someone the most. I don’t know if the others would be as understanding as me, and if they aren’t he would be alone”.

“Okay, let’s assume you’re right” Mark says before Jaebum can continue. “This guy is a saint in your eyes. He’s made of love and he rides unicorns” Jaebum gives him a disgusted face but Mark keeps going anyways. “He’s the best person ever and all that and you stay with him until the end. And when that time comes, he chooses the other guy. Then what would you do, Jaebum? All your effort would have been a waste of time”.

“I’ve wondered about that too” Jaebum answers. “But he likes me too, I’m positive. If there’s a chance it’ll be me in the end then I’ll glue myself to that possibility”.

“But what if you’re not? I’m not trying to scare you but I’m afraid you could get hurt and I don’t want that”.

“It’s cute that you care so much about me, Mark. But I can handle this. This guy is The One. He’s the only one I want by my side until the very end. If I have to fight with all my might then I will. The reward is worth the risk”.

Mark stares at him for a moment, still unsure about it; but Jaebum looks so passionate and so determinate talking about this guy that he has to give him his approval.

“Okay” Mark says, “I’ll support your crazy plan even though I’m still not 100% okay with it”.

“Thank you” Jaebum says, pleased with Mark’s words. “I know it’ll be hard, but I have to try at least. If it doesn’t work in the end then I’ll accept my fate, but I can’t give up without a fight”.

“I understand that and I respect you so much for you courage” Mark says, smiling to him. “If you feel down or need some comfort or advice you can always come to me. I’m always here for you”.

Jaebum can’t help but snort at that and give Mark an incredulous stare.

“I hope you’re aware of what you have just said” he says, “and of how much of a lie that is”.

“C’mon Jaebum! I’m serious!” Mark argues with a pout. “You know you’re my best friend”.

“A best friend you can ditch any time you want for this…”

“Jinyoung”.

“Whatever. I don’t believe you”.

“Stop playing hard to get, Jaebum. You know I care deeply about you and that if you need me I’m always here for you”.

“Fine, fine! But stop pouting or I’ll put that bag on your face”.

Mark smiles happily and resumes eating his meal. Jaebum smiles at him before doing it too.

 

“You have to stay here” Jinyoung instructs the dog. “You can’t get out of the room until I come to pick you, okay?”

Coco barks and continues pawing at Jinyoung’s leg. Jinyoung sighs and grabs her from the floor.

“Don’t worry, your future daddy will arrive soon. I’m sure he’ll treat you nicely”.

Coco sticks her tongue out, trying to lick Jinyoung’s face.

“Aww, I’m going to miss you too! But uncle Jinyoung promises he’ll come see you whenever he can”.

He pets her as she squirms on his embrace, trying to lick everything she sees. He chuckles and puts her down just as the doorbell rings. Jinyoung watches Coco running towards her toys and smiles before closing the door and going to the main door. When he opens it a wild Youngjae enters in a rush and starts checking the house nervously.

“What happened?” he asks worriedly, now approaching a dumbfounded Jinyoung and squishing his cheeks. “Are you fine? Please don’t die!”

“What are you doing?” Jinyoung yells struggling to get out from Youngjae’s gasp. “I’m completely fine!”

“You said I had to come see you urgently!” Youngjae exclaims after releasing Jinyoung.

“That doesn’t mean something happened to me, and I’m definitely not dying! I just had to make sure you would come because you’re always busy with your boys and I wanted to give you your birthday present”.

“You got me a present? Aww Jinyoung, you didn’t have to!”

“You’re my best friend, of course I had to! I still have to make sure that I’m your most favourite person in the world, now that you have all those guys showering you with love and affection. Close your eyes”.

Youngjae sits on the couch and does as he’s told and closes his eyes. Jinyoung smiles and then goes to his bedroom to pick up Coco.

“You’ll always be my favourite person ever, Jinyoung. You’re the number 1 boy in my heart” Youngjae says, waiting patiently but extremely curious about his best friend’s present.

“I bet your boys wouldn’t be happy to hear that” Jinyoung says, carrying Coco and placing her delicately on Youngjae’s lap. “You can open your eyes now”.

Youngjae opens his eyes and looks at his lap. He lets out a squeal when he sees the bunch of white fur staring at him with curious but shining eyes.

“What’s this?” Youngjae asks, examining curiously the dog on his lap. “It’s so cute! Who are you my little friend?”

“Her name is Coco” Jinyoung says, grinning tenderly at how cute Coco and Youngjae look together. “She’s yours now, surprise!”

Youngjae stares at him in awe, petting Coco’s back affectionately.

“Mine? You bought it for me? You didn’t have to!”

“I adopted her” Jinyoung says, handing Youngjae an envelope. “This is Coco’s documentation. You have to drop by the shelter and ask them to change the name of the owner. I had to put mine to get her but now it belongs to you”.

Youngjae grabs the envelope with one hand and opens it, reading carefully the papers while a hyperactive Coco tries to get his attention back to her by pawing at his chest.

“How much time have you had her?” Youngjae asks Jinyoung.

“For more than a week” he answers. “She was a bait to lure Mark into my house”.

“What?” Youngjae says alarmed. “You used this poor baby to get Mark in your house? That’s cruel, Jinyoung!”

“Hey, I treated her like a princess!” Jinyoung argues, taking a seat besides Youngjae and caressing Coco’s head. “She behaved so well”.

“Are you sure you want to give her to me?” Youngjae asks, seeing how fondly Jinyoung is staring at Coco. “You seem to like her a lot”.

“I do. But I know how much you wanted a dog and honestly I’m sure you’ll treat her better”.

“Fine, but I’ll bring her over from time to time and you can always come visit us at my house. We can share her custody”.

“I’m glad you’re bringing it out because you’re already sharing her custody with Mark”.

“What do you mean?”

Jinyoung picks his phone and searches in his gallery for the folder where he saves Mark’s photos. He opens one of him playing with Coco and shows it to Youngjae.

“I lied when I told you I met Mark at school” Jinyoung explains while Youngjae and Coco stare at Mark’s picture. “Mark is a veterinary and he was the one who helped me when I adopted Coco. He’s very fond of her, so I call him her dad. I guess now Coco has two daddies”.

“What about you? Why aren’t you her daddy too?”

“I’m fine being her uncle. Besides, she already knows I’m after his dad. She even gave her approval to our relationship, right Coco?”

Jinyoung offers his hand for a high-five and Coco happily wriggles her tail and places her paw against Jinyoung’s palm.

“See? She’s on my team” he proudly says.

“She’s sooo cute, Jinyoung!” Youngjae says with a squeal. “So so so so cute! Thank you so much!”

Youngjae places Coco aside to hug Jinyoung tightly without crushing her. Jinyoung laughs and hugs Youngjae back, glad that Youngjae liked his present the most.

“I love you so much, Jinyoung! You’re my best friend ever!”

“I hope so. Now how about we go for a walk with Coco and talk about how to treat her and you tell me about your night”.

“You also have to tell me what happened last night with you and Mark. You vanished in the air and I couldn’t find you anywhere!”

“Oh that” Jinyoung casually says while adjusting Coco’s belt under Youngjae’s watchful eyes. “I wanted to go home early because I was worried about Coco and Mark joined me. He also stayed the night”.

“Really? And something happened?”

“We slept together” Jinyoung answers when they are out. Youngjae wriggles his eyebrows at him and Jinyoung quickly adds “but not like that! We just slept on the same bed, but no touching. Well, I did touch him but not like that…”

“But that’s good, isn’t it? If he wasn’t into you he wouldn’t have slept with you. And what happened in the morning?”

“Nothing. I made breakfast, thanked him for escorting me last night and then he said he had to do something important and left”.

“Did you scare him away again?”

“How? I did nothing! I was going to kiss him on the cheek but he left in a rush and I couldn’t do it! But he asked me to call him at night to let him know if you liked Coco”.

“Aw, he’s really cute! When are you going to ask him out? Last night you were acting super sweet and if I didn’t know better I would have thought that you two are already dating”.

“I don’t know. I think he wants to take things slowly, so I’m going with his flow. I’m not going to risk the love of my life for my stupid hormones. I’ll wait until he’s ready and then I’ll ask him out”.

“You both are so cute! I ship you so much guys!”

“Enough about me. It’s your turn” Jinyoung says while passing Coco’s belt to Youngjae. “You have to walk by her side and be careful when cars pass by. And avoid pulling it when it’s not necessary or else you’ll hurt Coco”.

“Okay I think I have this” Youngjae says, watching carefully Coco’s steps.

“Here you have bags to collect her poops and-“

“Look Jinyoung! She’s pissing! How cuuuute!”

Jinyoung face-palms himself as he sees his best friend fanboying over a dog pissing. He wonders if he has done the right thing giving Coco to Youngjae.

But when he sees his bright smile as he bends down to pet her he’s sure that it was the best idea he has ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy prince Jinyoung day everyone!  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~!  Again, I'm sorry about the late update :c but since it's Jinyoung's birthday you'll have a nice surprise :)  
> I saw some of you being concerned about Jaebum losing interest in Youngjae. I just wanted to give his relationship with Youngjae a different approach. Jaebum can't give up this soon!  
> I'll see you soon my wonderful people! Have a nice day <3


	15. Another birthday kiss?

It’s Monday evening when Mark finds himself again feeding the dogs at the shelter. From time to time he checks his phone to see if Jinyoung has answered his texts. They text each other every day and yesterday they even had a long phone call that started with Mark dialoguing his number by error. He acknowledges that he wanted to talk with him but before he could find an excuse to do it his finger moved on its own and pressed the call button. Fortunately Jinyoung was cheerful that day and made the most part of the chatting.

Of course, Mark didn’t mind; Jinyoung’s voice is sweet as honey and it has a relaxing effect that helps easing Mark’s nerves.

“What are you doing?” Taecyeon asks him, trying to look at Mark’s phone over his shoulder.

“Nothing!” Mark yelps and tries to hide his phone in his pocket before Taecyeon can see his conversation with Jinyoung.

“It didn’t seem as if it was nothing” Taecyeon says, eyeing Mark suspiciously. “What are you hiding, little Markie?”

“Taec, leave the poor boy in peace” Minjun scolds him, casually passing by them carrying some folders. “He was probably just waiting for his boyfriend to text him back”.

“I don’t have a boyfriend” Mark argues.

“We all saw both of you the other day, Mark” Minjun says as he disappears through the door. “You don’t fool anyone!”

“I want to know everything about him” Taecyeon demands seriously. “I have to make sure he’s good people before giving you away to him”.

“Again, I’m not a pet!”

“Whatever. Just tell uncle Taec everything about this guy”.

Minjun hears from his spot behind the counter Mark arguing back in the other room, but he knows Taecyeon won’t let him go without teasing him a bit more.

He’s organizing some papers when the door of the shelter opens and an unknown guy comes in. He has handsome features and is smiling brightly as he walks towards Minjun.

“Hello young man” Minjun greets the customer. “How can I help you?”

“Hi! I’m searching for Mark”.

Minjun narrows his eyes at that, scaring the other boy.

“And who are you?” he asks seriously.

“Uh, my name is Youngjae” he says, a bit intimidated by the man.

“Look, Youngjae” Minjun says, leaning towards Youngjae threateningly. “I don’t know what business do you have with Mark, but he already has a boyfriend and we like the guy so stay away from him”.

“Really?” Youngjae asks shocked. “Does he have a boyfriend?”

“Yes, and like I said we like him so back off. Jinyoung is a fine young man and he seems truly kind. He’s the best for Mark so I’m warning you: stay away”.

“Are you talking about Park Jinyoung?”

Minjun leans back, staring at him in awe.

“Do you know him?” he asks the boy.

“Is this Park Jinyoung tall, with dark hair and handsome features, and always dresses nicely?”

“Yes, that’s Mark’s man”.

“Then I know him! I’m his best friend!”

“You’re his best friend? Coco’s new owner?”

“Yes!” Youngjae answers smiling brightly again, handing Minjun the same envelope Jinyoung gave to him. “In fact, I came here to change the papers. Jinyoung told me to ask for Mark since he was the one who assisted him”.

“Ah, that changes everything!” Minjun says animatedly, walking to the door to call Mark. “Mark! You have visit!”

Minjun turns then again to Youngjae, smiling at him.

“How come you didn’t know Jinyoung and Mark are dating?” he asks the younger.

“According to Jinyoung, they aren’t dating yet. I was afraid you were talking about some other guy because he really likes Mark”.

“Mark says the same thing, but they act like boyfriends”.

At that moment Mark arrives in a rush, looking frantically at his surroundings as if he was searching for something; or more accurately, for someone.

“Oh, Youngjae” Mark says, finally realizing who is his visitor. “Hi”.

“Why do you sound so disappointed?” Minjun asks him. “Were you expecting someone else?”

Minjun stares at him wriggling his eyebrows while Youngjae waits for his answer expectantly.

“N-no, of course not” Mark answers, but the rosiness on his cheeks betrays him. “Are you here for Coco’s papers?”

“Yes” Youngjae answers, satisfied with Mark’s answer. “Should I have come with Jinyoung too?”

“I bet Mark would have appreciated that” Minjun mumbles.

“No problem, it’s fine” Mark says, ignoring Minjun’s words. “Follow me”.

Mark starts leading the way but before Youngjae can follow him Minjun stops him to whisper on his ear.

“You should have totally brought Jinyoung. It’s really entertaining to see those two interact”.

“I’ll bring him next time, don’t worry” Youngjae whispers back before following Mark under the satisfied gaze of Minjun.

 

When the process is finished, Mark gives Youngjae more supplies for Coco as a belated birthday present.

“Thank you, Mark!” Youngjae tells him with a happy smile on his face. “You’re really nice! Here, have my number in case you want to see Coco. I’ll call Jinyoung and we can arrange a date”.

“Yes, please!” Mark blurts out after hearing Jinyoung’s name, but seeing Youngjae’s amused face he decides to collect himself. “I mean, that would be awesome, thank you”.

Youngjae nods happily, saving his number on Mark’s phone after secretly checking how Mark has saved Jinyoung’s. He returns the phone back to its owner with a pleased grin.

“Another thing, Mark” he says, catching Mark’s full attention. “I don’t know if you already know this, but Jinyoung’s birthday is this Thursday. He doesn’t like parties very much, so we always celebrate it quietly. We’ve already made plans to have lunch together, but the rest of the evening he’s free”.

Mark blinks twice, registering this new information in his head before nodding. He didn’t know about Jinyoung’s birthday but now that he does he feels the urge to do something for him.

“Well, I’ll go now” Youngjae says upon seeing that Mark is wondering about what he said. “See you soon, Mark!”

Mark nods again and waves to him, missing Youngjae’s proud smile as he goes out from the shelter. He then takes Coco’s old papers, examining Jinyoung’s handwriting before folding them and saving them inside his pocket.

“You know it was a hint, don’t you?” Minjun asks him, appearing behind him without warning and startling him.

“Jesus Christ!” Mark yells, glaring at Minjun. “Were you eavesdropping?”

“Me? Of course not. I was just casually walking near here when I heard your conversation”.

“So you were eavesdropping”.

Minjun shrugs his shoulders.

“The thing is he wants you to visit Jinyoung on his birthday”.

“Why would he want that?” Mark asks innocently.

Minjun stares at him incredulous.

“Maybe because you’re super OTP and everybody ships you two together because you’re both so cute but for some reason you’re still not dating? Why aren’t you two dating yet?”

“What’s an OTP?” Mark asks curiously.

“You have to go to Jinyoung’s house and make his birthday amazing” Minjun continues, ignoring Mark’s question.

“But what do I do? I have no idea about what to do!”

“Luckily for you, we are here to help” Minjun says, pointing at him and Taecyeon who also has appeared out of nowhere.

“You know how to cook, don’t you?” Taecyeon asks. “Make him a delicious dinner. Buy wine, and chocolates”.

“Wait, don’t you have your own ramen recipe?” Minjun asks him. “Why don’t you cook it for him?”

“It’s only ramen” Mark answers. “That’s sloppy”.

“But it’s your own recipe” Taecyeon says. “What’s more special than your own recipe?”

“Uh, an expensive steak?” Mark asks.

“Are you rich?”

“No”.

“Then Mark’s ramen it is”.

Minjun and Taecyeon look at each other smiling proudly, while Mark starts liking the idea.

“But I can’t only give him that” he says, panicking a bit. “He’s a prince! Maybe he doesn’t even like ramen”.

“Like I told you, buy wine and chocolates” Taecyeon says.

“And tasty meat” Minjun adds.

“Okay, but how about the present?” Mark asks.

“What does your prince like?” Taecyeon asks. “Aside from you, of course”.

Mark stares pensive at the floor.

“He likes reading” he answers. “He’s a teacher, so he also likes kids. And he likes stylish clothes too”.

“Okay, we’ll work with that” Minjun says. “We’ll also help you with your appearance”.

“What’s wrong with my appearance?” Mark asks a bit offended.

“You said he’s a prince” Taecyeon says. “So you have to be dressed at his same level”.

“I don’t think I can be at his same level” Mark says dejectedly.

“Just leave it to us” Minjun asks. “We’ll make you look really good, like a real king”.

Minjun and Taecyeon look at him, smiling devilishly. Mark gulps, wondering if he should really trust those two.

 

Three days later, as he stands in front of Jinyoung’s door Mark realizes that trusting them for the dinner and the present was a good idea.

But trusting them to make him look good was a bad idea.

He admits that he indeed looks good, with his hair all styled and showing his forehead. That part is okay; but the clothes they choose for him… The pants are okay, a bit tight but still comfortable; but the shirt they choose is a bit transparent despite being blue and on top of that they didn’t allow him to fasten the first two buttons, revealing his collarbones and a bit of his chest.

They only allowed him to wear a coat since is a bit cold outside, but he will have to take it out once he’s inside Jinyoung’s house. Also that choker they forced him to wear is not helping either.

He has been standing there for five minutes straight, wondering whether or not to fasten the buttons or leave it like that. Minjun and Taecyeon insisted that Jinyoung would like that a lot, and Mark wants to please his prince so he allowed them to do as they pleased; but now he feels a bit exposed.

He finally decides to fasten them but before he can do it the door opens, and he finds himself face to face with an amused Youngjae.

“Oh, you came!” Youngjae exclaims happily. “I was leaving already, but I’m so happy you came!” He then grabs Mark by the arm and drags him inside. “JINYOUNG! LOOK WHO CAME TO SEE YOU!”

Mark distances a bit from Youngjae afraid that he could get deaf. He hears the sweet voice of Jinyoung saying that he’s coming and his heart starts beating faster in his chest.

“I’M LEAVING NOW!” Youngjae yells again. “HAVE FUN!”

And before Mark can react Youngjae is out of the house, leaving him alone with his crush.

He sees Jinyoung walking towards him, looking like a prince in his oversized pink sweater and jeans. Mark melts at the sight; it’s probably the cutest thing he has ever seen.

“Mark” Jinyoung mumbles with his honey voice. “Such a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?”

“Happy birthday!” Mark exclaims happily, trying to calm his nerves.

“Oh, thank you so much” Jinyoung says, chuckling at Mark’s cuteness. “But it wasn’t necessary for you to come here to wish me a happy birthday”.

“But I wanted to” Mark blurts out, startling Jinyoung.

“Oh, really?” Jinyoung asks amusedly.

“Yes” Mark answers quickly, “I cleaned my agenda for you”.

_And I ditched Jaebum again for you, so yeah, it was necessary_ , Mark thinks.

“Wow, that’s really touching” Jinyoung says, taking Mark’s hand and holding it in his. “I really appreciate it”.

“I’ve bought some things to cook dinner for you” Mark says, shaking the bag with the food for Jinyoung to see.

“You’re even going to cook dinner for me? You’re the best!”

Mark wants to say that Jinyoung is actually the best, but the excited birthday boy doesn’t allow him as he drags Mark to the kitchen. Honestly, Jinyoung would have been happy with Mark just dropping by to spend some time together; but the other had better plans and Jinyoung isn’t going to complain.

“Let me help you with this” Jinyoung says, taking the bag from Mark’s hand and placing it on the counter, inspecting its content after. “You even brought wine? And chocolates?”

“Well, I thought you’d like them…” Mark mumbles.

“I like them a lot” Jinyoung says, and then turns around to gift Mark with his beautiful eye-smile. “But I like you more”.

Mark blushes furiously and starts fumbling with the ingredients, hoping that Jinyoung hasn’t seen his reaction.

But of course Jinyoung has seen it. He sees everything Mark does because his eyes are always attracted by him. He chuckles and decides to help Mark silently.

While they wait for the ramen to be done Jinyoung opens the wine and serves two glasses for him and Mark. The latter proposes a toast for the birthday boy and said boy quickly smiles and agrees to him. After that Mark asks Jinyoung about his day, and Jinyoung happily talks about how the kids and Minhyuk sang a birthday song for him at school, how Youngjae embarrassed him shouting happy birthday in the middle of the restaurant but rewarded him after with the entire collection of his favourite writer and finally complains about having a feeling that Youngjae is hiding something from him.

“It’s something about Yugyeom, I’m positive” he says, pouring more wine in his and Mark’s glasses.

“Why do you dislike the boy that much?” Mark asks curiously. “He seems nice”.

“I don’t like the fact that he’s taller than me” Jinyoung answers, “he always looks at me over the shoulder and it bothers me”.

Mark chuckles at that, and Jinyoung eyes him suspiciously.

“What’s so funny?” he asks.

“You know, it’s not his fault he’s taller than you” Mark says, still smiling showing his canines. They’re so cute Jinyoung can’t help but smile too.

“I know, but it still bothers me. Besides that, he’s after Youngjae and now he doesn’t need that”.

“Why not?” Mark asks, taking a look at his ramen.

“He has a lot of things going in his head right now. I don’t want anything else troubling him”.

Mark hums before opening the microwave and taking out the ramen.

“Dinner is ready” he tells Jinyoung.

Jinyoung nods and helps him serving the meal. They both sit together at Jinyoung’s table, one in front of the other. Mark waits for Jinyoung to take the first bite, anxious to know if the dinner is a success or a failure. He watches carefully as Jinyoung smiles gently at him before tasting the ramen. Mark’s eyes follow the movement of Jinyoung’s Adam’s apple as he gulps and then waits for the verdict.

“Hmm, delicious!” Jinyoung says contently, already digging in his bowl for more.

“Really?” Mark asks with hopeful eyes. “Do you like it?”

“Of course! It’s really tasty” Jinyoung says, placing his chopsticks down seeing that Mark still hasn’t touched the food. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Mark sighs before answering.

“I wasn’t sure if you would like it. It’s only ramen with toppings, nothing special”.

“That’s not right” Jinyoung says, picking his chopsticks again to feed Mark. “Here, taste it”.

Mark stares at him doubtful before accepting the meal. He munches and savours it, but he can’t taste what makes it special.

“It tastes like all the times I’ve done it before” Mark says.

“Well, you’re accustomed to its savour but this is my first time eating it” Jinyoung says, already attempting to feed Mark again. “I think it’s delicious. And you cooked it personally for me, that’s why it tastes so good. What is this called, by the way?”

Mark smiles shyly at him after eating the food Jinyoung gave him.

“Mark’s ramen” he answers.

Jinyoung looks at him amused and then smiles again.

“Mark’s ramen” he repeats. “I think Mark’s ramen is now my favourite food”.

Mark smiles at him, feeling more confident now that Jinyoung has told him he likes it. He then starts eating by himself, occasionally accepting food from Jinyoung. It should scare him how they are acting so domestic already, but somehow he feels comfortable with it. Seeing Jinyoung smiling at him every time he feeds him gives Mark the courage to do the same and feed Jinyoung from his own chopsticks. Jinyoung looks a bit surprised at first, but then he smiles again even wider than before.

When the dinner is over Mark volunteers to wash the dishes. He has to argue before with Jinyoung, who says that he has already done too much for him; but in the end Mark pouts and uses all his aegyo to get Jinyoung to agree with him and succeeds. He’s glad he was born cute and it gives him power to control Jaebum and Jinyoung as he pleases.

Jinyoung still joins him though, watching Mark neatly washing the dishes. He can’t help but worship how good Mark looks tonight. He has spent time taking care of his appearance to look good for him, and he really appreciates the detail but he should know that he looks good even with his vet uniform. Honestly, Jinyoung felt a bit self-conscious when he saw Mark looking like a Greek god with his hair styled, showing that glorious forehead and wearing that shirt who reveals too much skin and those pants that are a bit tight and accentuate Mark’s attributes. And the choker is just the icing on the cake.

He wanted nothing more but grab Mark and lock him in his room, even more when the latter took off his coat and Jinyoung could see Mark glowing. He was torn between take him on the spot or rush to his room and change his casual clothes into something classier, but he ended up swallowing his impure thoughts and his pride and approached him calmly.

When Mark is finished he finds Jinyoung eyeing him from head to toes while biting his lip, and immediately a shade of red finds its way through Mark’s cheeks. He inhales deeply and decides to be the calm one for a change, so he coughs loudly, taking Jinyoung out from his trance.

“Chocolates?” he asks, pointing at the forgotten box of chocolates.

“Yes, please!” Jinyoung agrees, reminding himself that he has to tame his hormones in front of Mark.

Mark smiles and grabs the box, walking to the couch with Jinyoung following behind. Jinyoung happily opens the door and picks one while Mark rummages through the pockets of his coat.

“Which one do you like the most, Mark?” Jinyoung asks him, curious about what is Mark doing.

“I’m fine with everything” he says, finally finding what he was looking for. “I have something else for you”.

“Aw Mark, that’s too much!” Jinyoung exclaims. “You bought wine, chocolates and meat for me and you also made dinner for me! A present is too much”.

“But I really wanted to do this for you” Mark insists, handing him a small package. “And it’s something useful for you, I promise”.

Jinyoung stares at the present, feeling still guilty because Mark wasted so much money to please him; but he’s also curious about what this present could be so he takes it and opens it carefully.

Mark watches him unwrapping the present, playing with his fingers as he waits anxiously for his reaction. When he thought about it, Minjun and Taecyeon clapped at him and told him it was a really good idea and that he would like it a lot; but now that it’s finally happening Mark is scared that it will disappoint him.

Jinyoung lets out a squeal when he finally discovers what’s inside the box: a beautiful wristwatch decorated with numbers and strap in blue. He carefully takes it out, examining it more closely with an amazed face.

“I’ve observed that you don’t wear a wrist watch” Mark says, observing Jinyoung’s reaction while trying to calm himself down. “And I thought it would be useful for you since you work with schedules and you like to have your time organized”.

After hearing that Jinyoung diverts his gaze from the watch to Mark, flabbergasted that he has noticed all that without him telling him. Mark seems to know him too well even though they don’t know each other for a long time.

“You’re right” Jinyoung says, still dazzled by the present. “My last wristwatch broke long time ago and I always forget to buy a new one. But none of the ones I previously had was as precious as this”.

“So,” Mark mutters, “do you like it?”

Jinyoung looks at the watch again, then at Mark and then nods while smiling widely.

“I love it, Mark!” he says. “It’s the best present I’ve received!”

“Even better than Youngjae’s?” Mark teases.

“Well…” Jinyoung says, glancing at his bookshelves where he had placed Youngjae’s gift not so long ago. “I love Youngjae and his present is on my top 10 presents ever, but this one means so much to me… thank you Mark. Like really, thank you”.

“I’m glad you like it” Mark starts saying, all his nerves at ease now. “Honestly, I didn’t know if-“

He doesn’t get to end what he was saying because in a quick motion Jinyoung is on top of him, hugging him tightly and leaving Mark completely speechless.

“Thank you” Jinyoung whispers in his ears. “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had thanks to you”.

Mark can’t stop the smile that spread through his face at that. He smiles too and returns the hug. He feels on top of the world now that his goal of pleasing Jinyoung has been more than achieved. A happy Jinyoung is everything Mark needs to be happy too.

With shaking hands from the emotion he caresses Jinyoung’s back. The other isn’t making any move to let go of him, so Mark allows himself to melt into Jinyoung’s warmth. In his arms he feels safe, he feels at home and he feels full; so why not accept the truth and admit that he’s falling for Jinyoung real quick?

But at the same time the speed with which he has fallen for him also scares him. What if he rushes things and he messes it? What if he falls too soon and Jinyoung breaks his heart when he can’t go back? He doesn’t want to experience another break up; he ended getting over Jaebum, but what he feels for Jinyoung is more intense than what he felt when he started falling for Jaebum.

When Mark stops moving Jinyoung pulls back from the hug, staring at Mark trying to decipher what’s inside his mind. He wonders if this is the moment, if he should make a move now; but after all Mark did, he doesn’t want to lose him. He’s sure he wouldn’t find another guy like Mark ever in his entire life.

Mark senses Jinyoung’s gaze on him and he too stares back at Jinyoung, also trying to know what he’s thinking. Is he waiting for Mark to do something? To say something? But what can Mark possibly say, when everything has been already said silently with that meaningful hug?

But still Mark feels as if he had to do something. Jinyoung is important for him. He makes him feel things that Jaebum didn’t. He makes his life more beautiful and only his smile can take Mark to paradise.

He feels as if Jinyoung deserved to know. As if Jinyoung deserved to know how happy he makes him, how precious he is and how much he likes him; but no words escape from his mouth, no matter how much he tries to say something.

Feeling Jinyoung’s intense stare on him and the tension between them flooding the room, Mark decides to leave his mind in blank and to follow his heart, leaning towards Jinyoung and placing his lips on his without looking back.

Jinyoung feels a rush of emotions running through his body. He was deeply touched by everything Mark did for him, so much he was at the edge of crying of happiness when Mark hugged him back. But he wasn’t expecting the kiss. He was about to point out the again forgotten chocolates on the box but Mark got ahead of him and gave him a better dessert.

Jinyoung tastes like chocolate and wine, but to Mark it’s a perfect mix. He already figured that Jinyoung would taste sweet since his lips have an alluring pink colour, but now that he’s actually savouring them Mark notices that like always, reality overcomes fiction.

None of them wants to pull back, not when this finally happened; but Jinyoung, afraid that his hormones could possess him anytime is the one who breaks it. Mark stares at him, still dazzled by the kiss and also a bit amazed at his own courage. Normally it’s Jinyoung who starts everything but this time it was him who made the move.

Jinyoung smiles at him and takes his hand in his, caressing his palm with his thumb. Mark appreciates the gesture and smiles back, still feeling at cloud nine.

“Chocolates?” Jinyoung asks, trying to return back to normal.

Mark nods and allows Jinyoung to feed him, but as he swallows it he can’t help but think that they don’t taste as sweet as Jinyoung does.

 

“Thank you for coming, Mark” Jinyoung says, standing by his door in front of Mark. “But are you sure you don’t want to stay the night?”

“I appreciate the offer but we both have work tomorrow so I better leave” Mark answers. “But I also had a good time today, Jinyoung”.

Jinyoung smiles, fidgeting nervously with the hem of his sweater.

“Hey, Mark” he softly says. “Before you leave, I was wondering if we can go out someday? But not like a friends date…”

Mark stares at him, half panicking half excited. Is Jinyoung asking him out right now?

“I was wondering…” Jinyoung says nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I was wondering if we could go out on a date? Like, on a real date…”

Yep, he’s definitely asking Mark out.

Mark stares at him for a moment, not knowing what to do. A part of him wants to say yes, but another part of him is still scared of committing himself this soon. They still need to know each other more, but at the same time Mark feels as if he already knows everything he needs from Jinyoung.

The only thing he can’t know is if he’s going to break his heart.

In the end, Mark ends up nodding his head shyly. Jinyoung’s smile is bright as the sun and Mark starts regretting having so much fear of getting hurt by him to just give in directly.

“Fantastic!” Jinyoung yells excitedly. “I’ll call you tomorrow! Good night Mark!”

“Good night” Mark mumbles.

Jinyoung smiles at him one last time before closing the door, leaving Mark alone outside.

Mark sighs and turns around, ready to walk home with a lot of thoughts running through his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! It's a double update :D  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! It's still Jinyoung's birthday in my country so I decided to make a double update with Jinyoung's birthday and how he and Mark celebrate it ^.^  
> I hope you'll like it :) next chapter we'll see how the week went for Youngjae and his guys :p  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	16. Conspiracies

It’s Monday morning when Yugyeom leans against the kitchen counter, mug of coffee against his lips but eyes focused on the scene displaying at the living room.

It’s already five minutes past the hour Youngjae usually leaves the house to go to college, but there he is: playing with the small white dog with a radiant smile on his face.

Don’t get Yugyeom wrong: he loves to see Youngjae smile like that. It makes him happy; but since that puppy entered the house Youngjae hasn’t looked at anything that wasn’t the small dog. Even when Jackson visited them on Sunday evening Youngjae couldn’t stop babbling about how adorable Coco is and how amazing is Jinyoung for giving him such an incredible present.

Yugyeom is almost sure Jinyoung did it not only because he loves Youngjae but also to bother him. That boy hates him for no apparent reason and uses whatever excuse to pick on him.

Youngjae finally stops petting its hair and gets up. Coco leaves his side and runs to chew one of her toys.

“I’m leaving Yugyeomie” Youngjae singsongs as he smiles and looks at him, and Yugyeom’s anger dies at that. “Have a nice day!”

Yugyeom mumbles a response and Youngjae leaves while whispering to himself how cute Yugyeom is.

Yugyeom is left alone with the dog, who is now staring at him while wriggling her tail.

“Looking at me like that won’t do” Yugyeom mutters, glaring at the unsuspecting dog. “You’re stealing his attention away from me. Don’t try to act cute with me because it’s not going to work”.

Coco blinks at him before rolling on her back, as if she was trying to show Yugyeom her best tricks. She stays like that, with her paws on the air and her tongue sticking out from her small mouth.

Yugyeom’s lips turn upwards and he places the mug down on the counter, picking a package before walking towards Coco.

“Okay, I admit it, you’re cute” Yugyeom says in defeat as he bends down to caress Coco’s tummy. “Have this, but don’t tell Youngjae”.

Coco barks in response and quickly gets on her feet, taking the candy in her mouth from Yugyeom’s hand.

 

When Kihyun arrives at class the first thing he does is search for Youngjae, but he can’t find him anywhere. He’s unusually late today. He opts to believe that he got distracted by his new dog and not by someone who rides a bicycle or worst: someone who rides a motorcycle.

He waves at Jaehwan and Sanghyuk as he goes towards his desk, which is close to theirs. They kindly ask him about his weekend, and Jaehwan jokingly scolds him for leaving Youngjae’s party soon and not joining them with the shots.

“You’re the only one who wasn’t there!” Jaehwan dramatically says. “How are we supposed to be taking class shots if one of us isn’t present?”

“But you took them anyways” Kihyun points out, leaving Jaehwan without arguments. Sanghyuk chuckles at him.

“Changing the subject” Jaehwan nonchalantly says, “did you see Youngjae that night? He looked beyond handsome, didn’t he?”

Kihyun eagerly nods, a wide grin spread in his face. Of course Youngjae looked amazingly handsome that night, when doesn’t he?

“That clothes suited him perfectly” Jaehwan continues after receiving both Kihyun’s and Sanghyuk’s agreements. “And that choker was just the icing on the cake”.

Sanghyuk nods again, but Kihyun blinks confusedly at the two. He doesn’t remember Youngjae wearing the choker when he arrived, but he does remember Youngjae wearing a black leather choker when they parted ways. That leaves him wondering who could have gifted it to him.

“Oh look, he’s here!” Jaehwan says, and Kihyun’s head automatically spins around looking for the object of his adoration. “He’s wearing that choker again”.

Kihyun stares at the piece of cloth wrapped around Youngjae’s neck. He has to admit that it looks truly good on Youngjae. He’s just wearing a simple grey sweater and jeans but the choker gives him a sexier vibe.

He hears Jaehwan and Sanghyuk talking about Youngjae’s looks, but he doesn’t mind them. They know Kihyun and Youngjae have a special relationship and Kihyun is almost sure that Jaehwan and Sanghyuk also have something going on.

What bothers him though is freaking Im Jaebum appearing just behind Youngjae and approaching him with his stupidly seductive smirk on his ridiculously handsome face.

“Our tutor Jaebum surely likes Youngjae a lot” Jaehwan whispers by his side, most to Sanghyuk than to Kihyun.

“Even when he’s supposed to be helping us he keeps stealing glances at him” Sanghyuk adds.

“We can’t blame him though” Jaehwan mumbles after, “Youngjae is truly a work of art”.

“But isn’t him…you know…” Sanghyuk whispers even more softly, and Kihyun doesn’t even hear what he says next because freaking Im Jaebum dares to lift his hand and touch Youngjae’s choker as if it belonged to him.

Oh well.

“It must have been him who gifted Youngjae that choker” Jaehwan says, voicing just what Kihyun was thinking in his mind.

He has to thank Min Yoongi for interrupting their moment as he hurries Jaebum to leave his pupil in peace, threatening to push him if he doesn’t. Jaebum smiles at him but Kihyun can see in his eyes that he’s annoyed by it. Yoongi then turns to Youngjae and smiles at him. Youngjae smiles back and nicely asks about Yoongi’s weekend as they walk towards Youngjae’s desk.

Kihyun rushes to them and Youngjae is quick to involve him in their conversation as he asks about Kihyun’s weekend as well.

 

When Kihyun asks Youngjae if he’s free at the end of their classes Youngjae mumbles an apology accompanied by a gentle smile.

“I’ve already made plans” Youngjae says, and Kihyun panics a bit. “I have to go to change Coco’s papers at the shelter. But I’m free tomorrow!”

Kihyun’s face brightens at that. At least Youngjae’s plans don’t involve any bicycle or motorcycle rider.

“I’m free tomorrow as well” Kihyun eagerly answers.

“Great! Maybe we can go to the cinema? It has been a while since I last went there”.

Kihyun nods at him. He would go anywhere if it’s with Youngjae.

“Cool!” Youngjae excitedly says. His eyes and smile irradiate pure happiness and Kihyun finds himself grinning even wider because of it.

He feels on top of the world right now.

“I’ll ask Changkyun too!”

And just like that he falls from said top of the world.

He can’t even complain about it because Youngjae is already running down the street, directly into the arms of the bicycle rider Kihyun despises so much. He stares at them, glaring holes into Changkyun’s head as they talk animatedly. He sees Youngjae smiling adorably to him and Changkyun nodding his head. Then Youngjae turns to him and shouts a ‘he said yes, see you tomorrow’ before climbing after Changkyun on the bicycle and waving at him as they take their leave.

Kihyun doesn’t miss Changkyun’s mischievous smile when Youngjae’s arms hug his body tighter as they go; but he does miss the other pair of eyes that are staring at the couple with a bit of sadness in them.

He feels them though, so he turns around just in time to see Jaebum looking away before walking towards the cafeteria at the other side of the road.

For the first time Kihyun feels some sympathy for Jaebum. It hurts seeing the person you love going away with another guy that is not you.

Kihyun sighs and starts walking home, wondering what can he do to get rid of stupid Lim Changkyun.

 

“So, what do we do?” Jackson asks, taking a sip from his organic green tea. “We can’t just kill the guy…”

Yugyeom and Kihyun stare at him as if he had just proposed a challenge to them.

“Guys, we CAN’T kill him, okay?” Jackson declares. “Let’s solve this like the civilized people we are”.

Yugyeom sighs internally because he really didn’t want to kill Changkyun. He doesn’t want to admit it but he kind of likes Changkyun and doesn’t want anything bad happening to him.

He still wants Youngjae though. And maybe he doesn’t want to kill him but is considering something like… sending him far away from them. But he doesn’t say it. He just keeps staring at them expectantly while petting the sleeping dog in his arms.

“Well, maybe I can…do something since Youngjae want us to be friends so much” Kihyun says, “but we still have to get rid of Jaebum”.

“How do we do that?” Yugyeom asks then. He doesn’t know this Jaebum guy so he doesn’t care if they have to kill him or not.

“You know him better than us” Jackson says, and Yugyeom nods by his side.

Kihyun stares pensive at the floor. He could have thought of something before making this sudden secret meeting at Youngjae’s expense.

“I don’t know…” Kihyun mumbles. “He gives me this player vibe but at the same time I’ve only seen him looking at Youngjae”.

“For what you’ve told us of him, he looks like one” Jackson agrees. “Maybe we could use a bait to lure him, and then catch him unprepared and show Youngjae that he’s a bad boy and he shouldn’t date a guy like him”.

Kihyun nods his head slightly, liking the idea. Yugyeom just stares between the two while petting Coco.

“That could work” Kihyun says. “But his target is Youngjae. He goes for the most handsome ones, and where do we find a hot guy who would be kind enough to help us and who is even more handsome than Youngjae?”

“He doesn’t exist” Yugyeom and Jackson answer in unison.

Kihyun sighs. It already sounded stupid to him as he was saying it.

The room falls in complete silence for a few seconds, before Jackson raises his head and stares at Kihyun.

“Wait, Kihyun” he mumbles, catching Kihyun’s and Yugyeom’s attention in an instant. “Don’t you have a friend that is handsome, nice and single?”

 

“NO!” Minhyuk says with a disgusted face. “I’m totally not seducing a random stranger just because you want to date Youngjae! Just man up and ask him out!”

“Please, Minhyuk!” Kihyun desperately pleads. “We just have to make sure Youngjae doesn’t go out with a complete douchebag! You don’t have to sleep with him or anything, just flirt a bit to see if he’s a player or not”.

“For the umpteenth time already: NO!”

“Please, Minhyuk!”

Minhyuk stares at Kihyun with an annoyed face, but he quickly melts upon seeing Kihyun desperate eyes. Kihyun is usually composed and doesn’t let anything get into him; but Youngjae is really important for him so he’s truly sensitive to anything Youngjae related.

Kihyun looks at him with pleading eyes, pouting a bit and pulling from Minhyuk’s sweater slightly like a little kid. Minhyuk is torn between giving in or not when he notices an actual tear making an appearance at the corner of Kihyun’s eyes.

“Fine” Minhyuk says with a sigh. “I’ll do it. But I expect a huge reward in exchange”.

Kihyun quickly gets up from the floor –yep, he’s as desperate as to beg to Minhyuk on his knees—and hugs him tightly while nodding his head frantically.

“But for the love of God: just tell Youngjae you like him after!” Minhyuk says.

“Yes, yes” Kihyun says, still hugging Minhyuk. “I promise I’ll do it! Thank you so much, Minhyuk”.

“You’re suffocating me, Ki”.

Kihyun let’s go of Minhyuk at that, truly worried for his best friend’s health.

“Okay” Minhyuk says then, “tell me how are we going to do it”.

 

Jaebum wakes up the next day feeling extremely irritated. He barely had time to speak with Youngjae in peace without anyone else getting in between. He’s aware he said he would stay by his side no matter what, but it’s tougher than he thought at the beginning.

He has just finished getting dressed when his phone starts ringing with that special tune he has only for one specific person.

He groans before accepting the call.

“Let me guess” Jaebum says through the phone, not leaving time for the other to even greet him, “you can’t meet on Thursday”.

His best friend gasps in surprise at the other side of the line.

“How did you know that?”

“You’re not a morning person, Mark” Jaebum answers, not that bothered but rather proud of his guessing skills. “If you’re calling this early it’s because something important happened and knowing you it has to do with Jinyoung.  Am I wrong?”

There’s silence for a while before Mark mumbles a soft ‘no’.

“I knew it” Jaebum proudly says. “I’m amazing at this”.

“Can you stop bragging about yourself for a moment and listen to what I have to say? It’s important!”

“Important?” Jaebum asks, now really a bit annoyed. “Mark, do you even remember why we agreed to meet this Thursday?”

There’s silence on Mark’s side again, and Jaebum takes it as a no.

“Our third musketeer is coming back to Korea after a year working abroad! How could you forget that, you moron? We haven’t seen him since he left!”

“I- I know, right?” Mark says, but the stuttering means to Jaebum that Mark had clearly forgotten about that. “But I can’t meet that day! His flight comes tomorrow, doesn’t it? Maybe I can fetch him at the airport and have a small talk with him to make up for the Thursday meeting”.

“And what’s your excuse?” Jaebum demands.

“It’s Jinyoung’s birthday” Mark simply answers. “And I want… I want to make something special for him. You know this is important for me, why aren’t you encouraging me?”

“Ugh, okay” Jaebum mumbles, the image of Mark pouting flashing in his mind and making his heart soften. “I will overlook it this time because you have a good excuse. But the following day you better appear at my apartment with a bag full of chicken and a full resume of what happened. Is it clear?”

“Yes! Thank you, Jaebum! I’ll be there I promise!”

Jaebum smiles a little because he knows Mark really means it.

“Hyunwoo may forgive you this time because he’s too kind for his own good, but we still have to hang out, the three of us like the old times” Jaebum continues, already looking forward to that meeting. He has missed Hyunwoo a lot since he left due to his work. The three of them were inseparable and always had fun together, without needing alcohol or girls or boys or whatever. Mark, Hyunwoo and now Youngjae are the only persons with who Jaebum feels comfortable enough to relax and let himself be.

“Of course! I was already counting on that!”

“Getting back to the subject” Jaebum says, “do you need anything? Advice, help…something?”

He hears Mark making a small sound as he was about to answer him when he hears shuffling and whines at the other side.

“Don’t worry, Jaebum!” another male voice tells him. “We’re taking good care of everything!”

Jaebum chuckles at that, but deep inside he doesn’t know if he should feel relieved or worried about Taecyeon and Minjun taking care of Mark’s love life.

“Good, less stress for me” Jaebum says jokingly nevertheless.

“We’re even planning Mark’s attire!” he hears Minjun shout in the distance.

“We’re gonna make him look like a real prince!” Taecyeon says close to the phone. “But if you want to contribute we accept suggestions”.

Jaebum ponders for a moment if he should request for something ridiculous because he knows that whatever thing he asks for, the other two will comply no matter how stupid it is.

He suddenly remembers Youngjae smiling at him with that beautiful choker in his neck and smirks.

“I want him to wear a choker” he whispers.

“Your desires are orders for me” Taecyeon says. “He’s gonna look so good you’ll regret dumping him!”

Jaebum chuckles at that, not offended in the least. He hears Mark scolding Taecyeon in the other side.

“I have a feeling this Jinyoung will be better for him than me” Jaebum honestly says.

“We like him a lot!” Minjun shouts again.

“But we still like you, you know?” Taecyeon says, and Jaebum smiles. “You can come here whenever you want to pay us a visit, we miss you!”

“And if you want we can look for a prince like Mark’s for you too!”

Jaebum laughs at that, but before he can refuse he hears Mark telling them that he already has someone he likes.

Jaebum panics as he hears the duo mumbling an exaggerated ‘ooooooooooooooh’.

“We’ll talk another day, okay? I have to go!” Jaebum says in a hurry and quickly ends the call.

If those two find about Youngjae they won’t let him live in peace, and Jaebum has enough with his complicated crush on a sunshine angel full of love.

They can keep torturing Mark all they want for that matter.

 

“It’s a pity that he already has someone he likes” Minjun says with a sigh. “I was thinking about setting him up with Jinyoung’s friend”.

“Are you talking about Youngjae?” Mark asks.

“Do you think he would like him?” Minjun curiously asks.

“Probably. Jaebum likes cute guys” Mark says unamused. “But Youngjae is too innocent for him. Jaebum likes boys a bit bolder. Besides, for what I heard from Jinyoung he already has someone he likes, so…”

“I see. The best ones are always caught” Minjun dramatically says. “That’s why you have to hurry and grab your man before someone tries to steal him away from you. Jinyoung is a good match, if I were you I wouldn’t waste time”.

“If you really want to catch him before anyone else you have to wear a choker for his birthday” Taecyeon suddenly says, appearing behind him.

“Huh?” Mark asks confused. How on Earth is a choker going to help him getting together with Jinyoung?

“Never underestimate what a choker can do, my friend” Taecyeon adds.

 

Kihyun and Youngjae are waiting for Changkyun at the cinema. Youngjae anxiously looks at his wristwatch again. Kihyun smirks: Changkyun is ten minutes late. It’s about time to turn this into a real date with Youngjae.

Just as he opens his mouth to tell Youngjae to forget about Changkyun the aforementioned one appears running towards them. Youngjae’s face lights up at that and Kihyun frowns.

“Sorry I’m late!” Changkyun says.

Youngjae all but throws himself onto Changkyun much to Kihyun’s dismay. Changkyun is quick to catch him, also smiling radiantly because Youngjae always gives him a hug as a greeting.

“It’s fine, you’re here now” Youngjae says, giving Changkyun a last squeeze before freeing him from his embrace.

“I saw this candy shop when I was coming and it reminded me of you” Changkyun says, showing Youngjae a bag that almost got crunched by Youngjae’s hug. “I thought of buying some to eat during the movie. I apologize for my delay; I really took my time choosing the tastiest ones for you”.

“Really?” Youngjae asks with shining eyes. Changkyun nods at him with a shy grin. “That’s so sweet of you, Changkyun! Thank you!”

Changkyun bows his head in gratitude, watching as Youngjae rummages through the bag of sweets happily. He also notices Kihyun’s glare and he smirks in victory.

“I can’t wait to eat them!” Youngjae animatedly exclaims after he’s done examining the candies. “Let’s get in! I’ve already chosen the movie”.

He then intertwines one arm with Changkyun and the other with Kihyun as he drags the pair inside.

 

Once inside Youngjae asks if he can sit between the two of them. Kihyun and Changkyun don’t need further convincing and quickly agree with him. Kihyun thinks it’s fair for both of them –after all he’s still a gentleman- while Changkyun sighs in relief because the risk of dying today at Kihyun’s hands has been reduced.

When the movie starts Youngjae quickly opens the bag and offers Changkyun and Kihyun some sweets. Kihyun is already raising his hand to pick one when Changkyun suddenly takes out a lollipop from his jacket.

“I bought this specifically for you, Kihyun” he says with a –fake- gentle voice.

Kihyun is sure the lollipop is poisoned, but Youngjae is staring at them with a surprised but delighted face, so he has no option but to put the best fake smile he can and accept Changkyun’s ‘gift’.

“Thank you” he mumbles.

“Aw, look at that! Changkyunnie bought a candy just for you! Isn’t he the sweetest?” Youngjae asks, smiling happily at Kihyun.

“Sure” Kihyun says with an unamused voice.

Youngjae smiles pleased at him before focusing again in the movie.

Changkyun on another hand stares at him, waiting for his reaction to the candy he has just given him. It’s not poisoned but he bought it specifically for Kihyun for a reason.

Kihyun unwraps the lollipop and stares at it. He doesn’t trust Changkyun in the least, but Youngjae seemed so happy that the two of them were getting along that he can’t help but sigh before putting the lollipop in his mouth.

Changkyun supresses a chuckle as he sees Kihyun’s face contorting in pure disgust. The shop had a section of candies with strange flavours and Changkyun picked the one with the most horrible flavour he saw.

Kihyun clutches the lollipop’s envelope in his hand and is about to throw it at Changkyun’s mocking face when Youngjae turns around and asks about the candy. Kihyun falsely smiles again and lies saying that it does taste great. Youngjae smiles at him before focusing again in the screen.

Kihyun mouths a ‘you’re so going to die’ to Changkyun while placing his finger in his neck and moving it as if he was cutting it off.

Changkyun sticks his tongue out to him before turning his head towards the screen.

 

Thirty minutes after Changkyun and Kihyun are even more into the movie than Youngjae himself, who now is just staring discreetly at the two. He chuckles silently at how cute they look staring at the screen with their mouths standing wide open. For any other person it could seem silly but to Youngjae is one of the most adorable things he has ever seen.

Encouraged by how well the evening is going, he places one hand on top of Kihyun’s and the other on top of Changkyun’s, taking both guys out of their trance to stare at Youngjae’s hands.

Youngjae smiles first to Kihyun and then to Changkyun before intertwining his fingers with Changkyun’s and then with Kihyun’s too. He smiles at them while waiting for their reactions, but the only thing they can do is blush a bit and focus on the screen, trying to calms their hearts. Youngjae chuckles at that and follows them.

During the rest of the movie neither Changkyun or Kihyun make a move to let go of Youngjae, and that’s the reason why the sunshine can’t stop smiling through the entire film either.

Having both Changkyun and Kihyun with him makes him truly happy.

He wonders if they would agree to be on a three person relationship with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOT7's comeback <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~ I'm making a comeback of this story along with GOT7's comeback. You Are is so amazing and they all look and sound so good, especially my baby Youngjae :3  
> In case any of you is confused, this chapter (and the following) happen at the same time as the previous one, but they are focused on Youngjae and his suitors^^  
> See you soon :p


	17. How to seduce Im Jaebum

Thursday arrives soon. Too soon for Minhyuk, who finds himself standing in front of the cafeteria Im Jaebum usually frequents at 6PM sharp. He makes a mental note to have a serious talk with his friend Kihyun about stalking people.

He spots the guy through the window. Black hair thrown back exposing his forehead, pierced ears and leather clothes; Minhyuk can even see the twin moles above his left eye from his position. He’s the Jaebum his best friend described to him without any doubt. He’s sitting alone at one of the tables, a mug in his hand and an expecting expression on his face as if he was waiting for someone.

Minhyuk inhales and exhales deeply. This is it, he promised Kihyun he would do it and he always fulfils his promises. His palms are sweating and he’s nervous as hell, but Kihyun promised to cook his most delicious recipes for him for an entire week and Minhyuk can’t refuse to that.

He opens the door and comes in. He eyes Jaebum as he goes to the counter. The other guy is staring outside, his chin resting in his hand and Minhyuk has to acknowledge that the guy is handsome. It only makes him even more nervous because he’s dealing with a hot guy and not just an average one.

He orders a coffee and pays for it. He takes the cup in his hands and walks towards Jaebum’s table.

 

(“And what do I do then?”

“Just ask if you can sit with him, but do it cutely. He likes cute things”.

“No wonder he likes Youngjae”.

Minhyuk won’t forget the glare Kihyun gave him at that).

 

Remembering Kihyun’s advice, he puts his most adorable smile on as he advances towards him. Jaebum doesn’t seem to have noticed him though, now staring inside the mug with an exasperated look.

He’s two steps near Jaebum’s table when he clumsily trips over his own feet and he has to let go of his mug to avoid falling to the ground, with such back luck it lands on Jaebum’s table and the coffee spills across it; some of it falling on Jaebum’s lap.

Jaebum gets up abruptly, grabbing hurriedly a napkin and dabbing it against his stained pants while cursing Minhyuk.

“I- I’m sorry!” Minhyuk apologizes, feeling embarrassed of himself.

“You’re sorry? Look what you’ve done!” Jaebum angrily exclaims. “They’re ruined!”

“I’m sorry” Minhyuk regretfully repeats.

_Freaking Kihyun! Look what happened! It’s your entire fault!_

Minhyuk keeps cursing Kihyun in his mind while Jaebum keeps cursing loudly at him. Minhyuk winces at the harsh words and looks down sheepishly.

It only enrages more Jaebum, who is at the edge of hitting the poor guy when a hand lands on his shoulder and prevents him from hurting the other.

“Jaebum, what happened?” a gentle voice asks.

Minhyuk raises his head at that, intrigued about the sweet voice. He sees Jaebum turning around and facing the owner of the hand, explaining to him what happened. The other stares at him with his almost closed eyes. He has gentle features and bronzed skin.

He’s probably the most handsome man Minhyuk has ever seen in his entire life.

The man then smiles and it reminds Minhyuk of a bear.

“I’m sure he didn’t meant to spill his coffee on you, Jaebum” the guy says, and then turns to him. “Right?”

Minhyuk blush a bit before nodding his head frantically.

“See? You shouldn’t be so rude to him. After all it’s his coffee which got spilled” the man continues, leaving Jaebum a bit perplexed with his words.

“I’m sorry” Minhyuk apologizes for the third time.

“Oh no, don’t apologize, these things happen often” the man says. “It’s my friend who should apologize for his harsh words”.

Jaebum stares at him incredulous. The man stares back at him and tilts his head towards Minhyuk. Jaebum sighs and then turns to Minhyuk.

“I’m sorry” he says. “I’m not having a good day”.

“He’s being ignored by his crush” the guy whispers to Minhyuk.

Minhyuk jumps, startled by the sudden closeness between them. When has he moved by his side?

Jaebum glares at the man, who just shrugs his shoulders while smiling at him.

“Since you lost your coffee may I buy another one for you to make it up for it?” the man says to Minhyuk. Jaebum gives him a look that clearly says ‘dude are your serious’ but the man ignores him as he stares at Minhyuk, waiting for his answer.

“I… I don’t know” Minhyuk stutters, feeling incredibly shy under the man’s gaze. “I’ve bothered your friend enough. I think I should just go”.

“Oh, don’t mind him” the man says, and Jaebum is already opening his mouth to argue when he adds “Jaebum is already leaving anyways”.

Jaebum closes his mouth and looks at him suspiciously.

“Am I?” he asks his friend.

Minhyuk’s eyes are fixed on Jaebum so he doesn’t see the other guy nodding his head lively while pleading at Jaebum with his eyes.

 Jaebum sighs. He should stop hanging out with cute people.

“Of course, I’m leaving right now” Jaebum says, taking a few steps away still staring at the man. “See you soon”.

Minhyuk stares at him incredulously as he leaves, missing the man mouthing a ‘thank you’ to Jaebum.

When Jaebum is out of the door Minhyuk turns around and the man smiles gently at him.

“What would you like to have…?” the man asks, waiting for Minhyuk to end the phrase.

“Minhyuk” he answers and grins too. “My name is Minhyuk”.

Minhyuk offers his hand to him and the man eagerly accepts it.

“Hyunwoo” he mumbles.

 

Jaebum angrily kicks a pebble with his boot. Not only Mark ditched him today but now Hyunwoo too.

He should really stop hanging out with cute BUT ditching people.

“Stupid Hyunwoo” he mumbles. “He’s not even a day in Korea and he’s already been seduced by a handsome face”.

He stops in his tracks and looks back, even though the cafeteria isn’t visible anymore for him.

_Maybe I should have stayed_ , Jaebum thinks. _What if the guy plays him? Hyunwoo is kind but also naïve_.

He spins around and returns to the cafeteria. He takes a look through the window first before coming in, and from there he can see both Hyunwoo’s and the other guy’s faces.

They are staring at each other while talking. Jaebum is surprised at how quickly they have gotten comfortable with each other. He sees Hyunwoo taking his mug and sipping from it as Minhyuk tells him something, and his eyes don’t miss the shy grin that follows when Minhyuk is done talking. Hyunwoo smiles at him and then resumes talking to him. Jaebum doesn’t know what Hyunwoo is telling him, but Minhyuk seems truly focused on whatever his friend is saying.

He stares at the stranger for a while, but he can’t see malice in him. He finally decides to leave, wishing the best for Hyunwoo and forgetting his anger towards him.

He walks away again, thinking how lucky Mark and Hyunwoo seem to be with their love interests. Hyunwoo has just met the guy today but Jaebum is almost sure that he likes him back, and Mark is currently at his crush’s house so…

It seems like fortune is not on Jaebum’s side when it comes to love.

This week has been hell for him. First, Youngjae keeps wearing his choker and it makes him incredibly happy but it looks too good on him and Jaebum has to refrain himself from doing something inappropriate to him whenever he sees him.

The bad part about the choker is that it seems to be attracting more people towards Youngjae, and he doesn’t like how the other people look at Youngjae as if he was a delicious meal.

It doesn’t help that Youngjae has been busy this past days and they have barely had a moment for themselves. On top of that, that stupid guy with the bicycle keeps picking him up after classes before Jaebum can offer a ride home to Youngjae.

The guys in his class also can’t keep their hands off Youngjae. There’s always someone talking with him, be it his classmates, his ‘friend’ Kihyun or Min Yoongi. Jaebum can’t even get close to him, he can only watch as other people try stealing his boy away from him.

_His boy?_ Jaebum wonders if there will come a day when he can address Youngjae as his.

He’s about to cross the street when someone grabs his hand. He turns around violently; ready to fight whoever dared to touch him. But when he turns around he finds strawberry blond hair and shining eyes staring at him.

Youngjae smiles brightly at him.

“I knew it was you” Youngjae mumbles. Jaebum looks astonished to their linked hands. This is totally unexpected and it reflects on his face, so Youngjae quickly adds “I was walking home when I saw you. Well, in the distance I wasn’t sure if it was really you so I had to run here to check it…”

“You ran?” Jaebum asks incredulous.

Youngjae nods slightly before holding Jaebum’s hand properly.

“I feel…” Youngjae starts saying, making Jaebum anxious as his expression has turned from happy to serious in a second. “I feel as if we hadn’t talked to each other in a while, and I enjoy being with you a lot; so when I saw you earlier I told myself I had to catch you before you’d leave…”

Jaebum feels his heart racing. He wasn’t the only one who was missing the other after all.

“Maybe it was silly” Youngjae mumbles, seeing that Jaebum is not answering and his face seems troubled. “You have things to do too, and I have no right to disturb you”.

Youngjae drops Jaebum’s hand and is about to turn around when Jaebum wakes up from his trance and catches his arm before he can go away. The movement makes Youngjae turn around again, looking lost.

“I missed you too” Jaebum says without thinking, staring directly into Youngjae’s eyes.

The corners of Youngjae’s lips turn upwards and soon his lips are fully smiling at Jaebum.

Youngjae frees his hand from Jaebum’s and smashes his body against Jaebum, surrounding his torso with his arms until his hands find each other at Jaebum’s back. Jaebum melts into the embrace and hugs Youngjae back, placing one hand on Youngjae’s head and running it through his soft hair.

They stay like that for a while. Some passers-by stare at them as they walk, but the couple doesn’t mind them. Jaebum is too busy getting lost in Youngjae to pay attention to them.

Youngjae finally loosens up the embrace a bit to stare at Jaebum. The other keeps caressing Youngjae’s hair, a small smile adorning his face.

“Do you want to do something?” Youngjae asks him.

 

That’s how they end sitting on a bench near the Han River. Youngjae kindly bought ice cream for the both of them, saying that he was feeling guilty for not talking to him these days and even when Jaebum insisted that it was fine he couldn’t do anything against Youngjae’s puppy eyes.

“Were you on a date?” Youngjae asks him suddenly.

Jaebum chokes on his ice cream and coughs. Youngjae pats his back softly until Jaebum stops coughing.

“Why would you think that?” Jaebum asks surprised.

“You’re all dressed up” Youngjae answers, resuming eating his ice cream. “You look handsome. Well, you look handsome everyday but today… today you look so fine”.

Jaebum smirks at that.

“Wow, thank you” Jaebum says, “but I wasn’t on a date. I was with my best friend”.

“He hasn’t ditched you this time?” Youngjae teasingly asks.

Jaebum laughs.

“No, not that one. Well, he was going to but he warned me beforehand so it’s fine; he had a good excuse after all. I was with another one”.

“I’m glad you have another friend that doesn’t ditch you…” Youngjae jokes.

“He did” Jaebum says, seeing how Youngjae’s expression goes from mocking to shock in a second. “That was unexpected. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you what happened, but I don’t want to talk about it right now either. What were you doing? You said you were going home when you saw me”.

“I was returning from my best friend’s house” Youngjae answers. “I was hanging out with him but his present came and I had to leave. It’s his birthday today, you know”.

Jaebum nods. He suddenly feels as if he was forgetting something but he lets it go.

“Why would you have to leave because the present came?” Jaebum asks curiously.

Youngjae gives him a dirty glance and Jaebum realizes what Youngjae is saying.

“I see” he says. “Well, I hope our best friends are having fun ditching us today”.

“I’m not envious tho” Youngjae says, “I’m with you right now”.

Jaebum smiles sincerely at him.

“I’m not jealous either” he adds. “After all I have the cutest boy with me right now”.

Youngjae smiles at him before staring at the river.

“Can I ask you something, Jaebum?” Youngjae softly asks.

Jaebum stares curious at him, but Youngjae’s eyes are lost in the waters of the river.

“Of course” Jaebum answers, his heart thumping anxiously in his chest.

“What do you think of love?”

The question catches Jaebum off-guard. He doesn’t know what he was expecting from Youngjae but it certainly wasn’t this.

“I mean” Youngjae adds since Jaebum remains silent by his side, “do you believe in love? I know there are persons who don’t…”

“I thought I knew one of those persons” Jaebum answers then and Youngjae forgets about the river to stare at him. “My best friend, the ditching one, after we…” Jaebum swallows, pondering if he should continue or not but Youngjae’s eyes are waiting expectantly for him so he keeps going, “after we broke up, he declared that he didn’t believe in love anymore and didn’t want to date even when I insisted that he should. But now I look at him and even though he still denies it sometimes I know he’s in love with this new guy. I’ve always believed in love but seeing him so lovesick makes me believe even more”.

Youngjae nods slightly.

“I see” he mumbles.

“Don’t you…” Jaebum starts saying, intrigued about Youngjae’s reaction to the personal information he has shared with him, “don’t you find it weird that my best friend is my ex-boyfriend?”

Youngjae shakes his head no and then smiles at him.

“I don’t find it weird in the least” he answers, and now is Jaebum’s time to be surprised. "Wanna know something? My best friend is also my ex-boyfriend”.

“Really?” Jaebum asks shocked.

“Yes” Youngjae says while nodding. “We were friends before we were lovers, and even though we don’t have any kind of romantic feelings towards each other we love each other a lot. He’s my favourite person in the world and he’ll forever be”.

“That’s admirable” Jaebum says, “I wasn’t that lucky. I fell in love with him and when we broke up he didn’t want to know anything about me. I didn’t love him anymore romantically, but I still cared for him and I wanted to keep being friends. After a year he started talking to me again and we became the best of the friends. He’s a little cute ditching shit but I love him”.

Youngjae laughs at that and Jaebum smiles, glad that Youngjae accepts him just like he is.

“You know, if they weren’t already seeing someone I was thinking of setting them up so we could have double dates with them” Youngjae suggests.

“Sounds good” Jaebum says, not because he wants to be on a double date with Mark and Youngjae’s best friend but because it would still be a date with Youngjae. “But I don’t want to risk making my best friend go back to not believe in love because I told him to forget about this guy so he can go out with your best friend”.

“Same here. My best friend likes this new guy so much and he makes him happy so I don’t want to break the beautiful couple they make”.

 They smile at each other before ending what remained of their ice creams.

“What do you think of love?” Jaebum asks Youngjae then.

Youngjae places a hand under his chin while staring at Jaebum with an affectionate smile.

“I believe it exists, in multiple forms and in different ways” he answers. “I also… this may sound silly to you, or maybe you’ll be disappointed but I think that is also possible to love more than one person at the same time”.

Jaebum smiles. He was right about Youngjae liking another guy or maybe guys.

“You could also think that is selfish” Youngjae continues. “But I think that if that love is pure, there’s nothing wrong about it”.

“Certainly, polyamorous relationships exists” Jaebum says, and Youngjae smiles seeing that Jaebum isn’t terrified about his opinion. “I do also think that you can love more than one person at once. The problem is if you can get the others to like the idea of sharing the love. If they don’t like each other, it won’t work. You have to be careful”.

Youngjae nods, absorbing this new info. Jaebum on the other hand wonders if it was a smart move to tell Youngjae that because he seems to be plotting something. And he’s not sure he’s going to like it.

“I really enjoy talking to you very much” Youngjae says then, staring deep into Jaebum’s eyes. “You seem so smart. You always have an answer or advice for everything and it’s like you understand me in levels others don’t, not even my best friend”.

“You can always talk to me about anything you want” Jaebum says dead serious, staring back into Youngjae’s beautiful eyes. “I’ll be more than willing to listen to whatever you tell me, really. I’m here for you”.

Youngjae smiles at him. Jaebum smiles back at him too, knowing that those smiles are going to be his fall but he won’t surrender without a good fight.

If only he knew that his smile is also making Youngjae rethink his decisions.

 

Kihyun is reading a magazine when he hears the door of his house being opened. He quickly throws the magazine aside and gets up from the couch, staring expectantly at Minhyuk, who is wearing a dazzled face and whose cheeks are blushing slightly.

“How was it?” Kihyun asks eagerly.

“It was amazing” Minhyuk excitedly exclaims. “We’ve been talking for hours and he even drove me home! He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met!”

Kihyun stares at him surprised.

“I think I’m in love with him” Minhyuk continues, making Kihyun have a mini heart attack. “Is a bit crazy that I’ve met him today but I already love him?”

“Of course it’s crazy!” Kihyun furiously yells. “How could you fall in love with Jaebum?”

Minhyuk’s smile falters and he stares at Kihyun confused.

“Jaebum?” Minhyuk asks hazily, and then he remembers about Jaebum. “Aaah, no, no, I’m not talking about Jaebum. I’m talking about his friend Hyunwoo”.

“Who is Hyunwoo?” Kihyun asks more confused about the issue than Minhyuk.

“His friend, a truly nice person unlike that Jaebum you told me about who was an asshole with me” Minhyuk answers, and then adds in a lower voice, “even though is true that I spilled my coffee on his poor pants…”

“Then you didn’t seduce Jaebum, did you?”

Minhyuk shakes his head and Kihyun sighs.

“I’m sorry Kihyun!” Minhyuk pleads, not wanting to suffer Kihyun’s wrath on him. “I really tried, but Hyunwoo came in between and I was so absorbed by him I forgot about the mission! Please don’t be mad at me!”

Kihyun looks at his apologetic friend and takes his hand in his. He’s mad about the plan failing because it was a good chance to get rid of Jaebum; but Minhyuk is his best friend and he wants his happiness more than anything.

“It’s fine, Minhyuk” he calmly says. “We’ll think of something else, don’t worry”.

“If it’s of any use, he has a bad temper” Minhyuk says. “I spilled my coffee on him by accident and he yelled at me in front of the entire cafeteria”.

Kihyun chuckles at that and Minhyuk sighs in relief; he won’t be tortured by his best friend today.

“Seems like the only thing that can seduce Im Jaebum is Choi Youngjae after all” Kihyun mutters. “Now tell me everything about this Hyunwoo of yours”.

“You sure?” Minhyuk shyly asks. “I mean, he’s Jaebum’s friend”.

“I don’t care” Kihyun says, hugging Minhyuk. “If he makes you happy then I’m okay with it”.

 

After putting his three cats to sleep Jaebum thinks it’s time for him to rest too. He goes to his room and lies on his bed, but he decides to check his phone one last time before falling asleep. He finds an overly cute text from Youngjae and he smiles. He replies to him and then puts his phone aside.

He thinks about the conversation they had today. He has been wondering all the way back home and during dinner if he would be okay sharing Youngjae with another guy at the same time. He finally came to the conclusion that he could always fake it and then see how much the other guy can endure before he demands more.

His plan has flaws for sure. What if the other guy is fine with Jaebum? And what if the other also fakes it and waits for Jaebum to explode? He doesn’t have a lot of patience.

He sighs as he picks up his phone again. It may not be the smartest idea to search advice from two ditching shits but they are also his best friends, and Jaebum knows that they are always there when you truly need them.

He types ‘urgent meeting tomorrow’ in their shared chat-room and just as he sends it another two texts come in at the same time.

_Cute little ditching shit Mark: Urgent meeting tomorrow._

_Cute new ditching shit Hyunwoo: Urgent meeting tomorrow._

Jaebum writes ‘lunch at my house, bring food or I won’t open’ before placing his phone again on the bedside table and finally succumbing to slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! Here I bring you another update because GOT7's comeback is boosting my inspiration *-*  
> I hope you enjoy it^^ See you soon and have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	18. Urgent meetings

The next day Jaebum is feeding his three cats when the doorbell rings. Knowing too well who must be, he puts on his most hurt face and opens the door only to be greeted by two huge bags of take-away food.

“We’re sorry!” Mark and Hyunwoo say at the same time, making Jaebum wonder if they had it rehearsed beforehand.

“Okay, you’ve brought food so you can come in” Jaebum says, grabbing the two bags of food and walking inside his apartment without even sparing a glance to Mark and Hyunwoo who high-five behind Jaebum’s back.

“Wait a moment” Mark says then, realizing that he doesn’t know why Hyunwoo is apologizing for, “why is Hyunwoo asking for your forgiveness too?”

Jaebum turns around violently at that.

“You’re asking why is he apologizing for?” Jaebum asks sarcastically, glaring at Hyunwoo who smiles at him regretfully. “Really Mark, at his side you’re a saint”.

Mark stares at Hyunwoo curiously, wondering what he could have done that is worse than he ditching him anytime he can for Jinyoung.

“I can explain” Hyunwoo argues, but before he can give a proper explanation Jaebum starts talking again.

“Okay, so we’re having coffee together after a year without having seen each other” he dramatically says, not even looking at either of his friends as he continues, “and at some point he goes to the bathroom, what is understandable. While I’m waiting for him a guy trips and spills his coffee all over me, and when our friend Hyunwoo comes back, what does he do?”

Mark stares intrigued between Jaebum and Hyunwoo, who is scratching the back of his neck knowing how the story ends.

“He” Jaebum says, now staring at Hyunwoo while pointing his index finger at him, “he not only forces me to apologize to the boy for being rude to him but also buys him a new coffee AND makes me leave the two of them alone. He freaking dares to turn what was an emotional reunion of two friends who missed each other so much into a date with a stranger he has just met and that has spilled hot coffee on his friend’s pants”.

“It was an accident” Hyunwoo says, “he didn’t mean to spill his coffee on you”.

Jaebum’s chin starts to pop out from his face and the three of them know what it means, but still Mark has the audacity to look at Hyunwoo and ask:

“But was he hot?”

Hyunwoo also forgets about Jaebum for a moment to answer Mark’s question.

“Hotter than my coffee” Hyunwoo says with a smile. “He was also very cute. I’ve been travelling the world for a year and I’ve never seen such a fine specimen like him”.

“Good job then” Mark says, high-fiving Hyunwoo for the second time this morning.

“Are you two for real now?” Jaebum asks the both of them, not believing what his eyes are seeing. “Do you two really have the need to scrub in my face how your love lives are going perfectly fine?”

“Oh, yours too?” Hyunwoo asks, still looking at Mark.

“Oh yes, I’ve also found a fine specimen and I think I have a date tomorrow” Mark answers.

“Oh, I also have a date tomorrow” Hyunwoo says, high-fiving Mark for the third time.

“GUYS!” Jaebum yells, “why are you ignoring me when you have been such assholes towards me? And Mark, how come you’re not sure if you have a date or not?”

“Ah, it’s just that when he asked I was so nervous that I only nodded my head” Mark answers, now taking a seat besides Jaebum to see if it makes him calm down. “He asked me to have a… romantic date, you know? And I panicked because I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet”.

“Look, Mark” Hyunwoo says, taking also a seat next to Jaebum but staring at Mark as he speaks, “if you want something, you have to take it before it’s too late. That’s why as soon as I saw this guy I went for him right away. I couldn’t let a fine specimen like him walk away from me; I had to make him mine. If I hadn’t gone for him now I wouldn’t have his number on my phone and a date scheduled tomorrow”.

“You’re right” Mark says, “I can’t lose Jinyoung, I won’t find someone like him ever again. I’m going to text him right now to let him now I’m truly interested”.

“Does it have to be right now?” Jaebum asks with a grunt as he sees Mark taking out his phone.

“Dear Jinyoung” Mark mumbles, typing on his phone, “I’m really looking forward our date tomorrow. Can’t wait. Kissing emoji” he saves his phone again in his pocket and smiles at Jaebum. “Text sent”.

“Unbelievable” Jaebum mutters.

“To be fair, the only requirement you imposed to us was to bring you food” Mark says, now finally looking at Jaebum, “you never said we had to pay attention to you solely”.

Jaebum is about to argue back when he realizes that Mark is right.

“Okay, but you’ve already talked about yourselves so now it’s my turn” he says but starts filling his mouth with his friends’ food.

“I think that’s fair” Hyunwoo says, feeling sympathy for his friend. “Tell us, why did you request for an urgent meeting?”

Jaebum munches some more food before finally answering.

“Yesterday, after both of you ditched me” he starts, glaring at Mark and Hyunwoo as he speaks, "I had a talk with my crush, and I think I gave him an advice that can backfire to me in the future”.

“What did you tell him?” Mark asks intrigued.

“We were talking about polyamorous relationships, you know, because he likes another guy aside from me-“

“Wait, what?” Hyunwoo asks agitatedly. “You forgot to mention that yesterday!”

“I didn’t forget” Jaebum argues back, “I was about to tell you when you went to the bathroom and later was impossible thanks to who?”

Hyunwoo then smiles apologetically and resumes eating his meal.

“So, I told him that the clue to make a polyamorous relationship work was to get the other two persons to get along with each other and be fine with the idea of sharing the love” Jaebum continues explaining, “and now I think he might be considering including me in a relationship with another guy and himself, but I know this other guy and I don’t think it’s going to work”.

“You can always pretend” Mark suggests. “Maybe in the end the other guy would get tired of having to share and would surrender”.

“Like I’ve said I know the guy and believe me, Mark: he won’t surrender. He’s very persistent”.

“Jaebum, I think you’re overthinking it” Hyunwoo calmly says, “you don’t know for sure if he’s considering having a polyamorous relationship with you and some other guy or not. I think you should wait until you confirm it and then you can start worrying”.

“Hyunwoo is right” Mark adds, “you’re worrying a lot when nothing has happened and it’s not good for you”.

“Look guys, let’s do this” Hyunwoo says, “for the rest of the day we won’t talk anymore about our crushes. Let’s just celebrate that the three of us are reunited again and have fun without worrying about anything else”.

“I’m in” Mark eagerly says.

Jaebum stares between the two, but upon seeing their cute pleading faces he sighs and gives in.

“Okay” Jaebum says, “but promise me that if the worst happens you’re going to be there for me”.

“Promised!” Mark and Hyunwoo say in unison before hugging Jaebum at the same time”.

“Let’s have a boy’s day” Jaebum declares, “let’s eat like pigs and talk about anything but boys”.

“But we are boys” Hyunwoo innocently says, “that means we can’t talk about ourselves either?”

Jaebum frowns at him.

“You know what I meant” he says, punching Hyunwoo’s arm and regretting it when he receives more damage than he causes. “No more boys’ talking”.

“But we are boys and we are talking” Mark then adds.

Jaebum glares at them furiously, but seeing that it has no effect on his friends as they are high-fiving again he sighs.

It’s going to be a long day for him; but at least he has food.

 

Three figures are having a meeting at the end of a café, away from possible furtive looks and greedy ears that could witness their evil plotting.

“What are we going to do now?” Yugyeom asks, staring at Jackson and Kihyun while taking a sip from his hot chocolate.

“We need to get rid of this Jaebum first” Kihyun says, “we’ll take care of Changkyun later”.

The three of them stare pensive at the table, thinking of possible ways to dispose of Jaebum.

“Okay, I think I have something” Jackson says, grabbing Kihyun’s and Yugyeom’s attention in the blink of an eye. “An acquaintance of mine throws a costume party next weekend and asked me to come with all the friends I want to invite, the only requirement is to wear a costume. I was planning to invite Youngjae so we could have a date but I can give it up if we can get something out of it”.

“And what is your plan then?” Kihyun asks, not truly convinced about Jackson’s plan.

“The place will be full of people” Jackson says, “so we search for the hottest guys and girls and we throw them at Jaebum’s face. It’s impossible that he isn’t seduced by anyone. And then we call Youngjae and show him that Jaebum is an evil guy and he shouldn’t go out with him”.

“He already ignored Minhyuk” Kihyun argues, “and it’s not about showing off but my friend is quite good-looking. What makes you think he isn’t going to ignore the others?”

“I know, but he won’t be able to get to Youngjae with the amount of hot people I’m going to recruit” Jackson says, “he’s going to fall for someone before he gets near our sunshine, I’m sure of it”.

“Your plan has a lot of flaws” Kihyun says, “but we don’t lose anything by trying”.

“Seriously guys” Yugyeom says then, “why don’t we just kill the guy? It would spare us a lot of problems”.

Jackson and Kihyun stare at him in disbelief, alarmed by how serious he sounded while talking about killing someone.

“Sometimes he scares me” Jackson whispers to Kihyun, who nods a bit by his side.

 

Jinyoung pours two cups of warm tea before glancing towards his living room where Youngjae is happily playing with Coco. Jinyoung smiles at the sight, congratulating himself for the success of his present. He knows Youngjae loved every present but Coco is definitely at the top of the list.

He takes the two cups in his hands and walks towards his best friend, who stops playing with the dog and accepts the dink with a smile. Jinyoung smiles back while Coco runs away to play with one of her toys.

“Well, tell me” Youngjae says with a smirk, “how was your night with Mark?”

“It was wonderful” Jinyoung says with dreamy eyes. “Everything was perfect. I’ve told you, Mark is the man of my dreams. Not only he buys wine and chocolates for me, but also makes dinner for us and gifts me this beautiful watch”.

Jinyoung shows the precious gift to his best friend, who lets out a ‘woah’ before smiling at him again.

“It sounds amazing” Youngjae mumbles.

“And that’s not all” Jinyoung eagerly continues, “after he gave me his present he kissed me. HE kissed me. You know I’m always the one to initiate any physical contact but the fact that it was him who started it made me incredibly happy. At that moment I knew that he was _the one_ for me, that I wanted to spend with him every moment of my life until it ends”.

“Aw, Jinyoung” Youngjae says, feeling genuinely happy for his best friend who finally has found the love of his life, “you sound so lovesick right now. But it’s not bad, I love seeing you so happy”. Youngjae reaches for Jinyoung’s hand to squeeze it and Jinyoung smiles at the gesture. “So I guess you’re dating now?”

“Kind of. I asked him to go out but he seemed hesitant, so I didn’t know for sure; but he sent me a text saying that he couldn’t wait until tomorrow so I guess everything is fine after all”.

“I’m soooo happy for you!” Youngjae yells as he hugs Jinyoung tightly, who places his cup on the table before hugging Youngjae back.

“I know dear” Jinyoung says as he pats Youngjae’s back. “But enough about me, how are you doing?”

At that Youngjae becomes stiff and releases Jinyoung, who stares worried at him.

“I’m confused” Youngjae answers, not meeting Jinyoung’s eyes afraid of his reaction. “I’ve been hanging out lately with Kihyun and Changkyun and the both of them seemed to get along well so I was thinking of… asking them to be on a relationship with me?”

Jinyoung stares at his best friend trying to process his words and Youngjae stares back at him, hoping that his friend will be okay with it or at least will give him some advice.

“You mean” Jinyoung says after a while, “as in a relationship with you at the same time? The two of them?”

Youngjae nods. Jinyoung doesn’t really know how to react to the news: on one hand, he’s glad Youngjae has made a resolution about who he wants to be with, and he’s not even mad that he mentioned two guys instead of one because he kind of had seen it coming already; but on another hand, Youngjae loves another two persons and leaving the other guys behind is going to affect him.

Seeing that his friend is taking his time pondering about it Youngjae starts to panic. Maybe his resolution isn’t a good idea. Maybe asking Kihyun and Changkyun to be with him at the same time was too much. Maybe Jinyoung doesn’t like that kind of lifestyle and he has disappointed him.

Jinyoung is still trying to figure what to say to help his best friend when he hears a quiet sob. He immediately looks at Youngjae, who sobs again and Jinyoung is quick to envelope him with his arms, Youngjae’s head colliding against his chest as he keeps sobbing and Jinyoung can also feel wetness on his shirt.

“Youngjae, sweetie” Jinyoung warmly says while rubbing Youngjae’s back, “why are you crying?”

“I…I’m sorry, Jinyoung” Youngjae mumbles, clutching Jinyoung’s shirt tightly in his fists.

“Sorry?” Jinyoung asks dumbfounded, separating a bit from Youngjae to look at him, “why are you sorry?”

Youngjae hiccups before answering Jinyoung.

“I’m sorry I can’t be normal and be in love with just one person. I’m sorry you have such a disappointing friend”.

Jinyoung’s eyes widen as he hears his best friend saying those words. He can’t believe Youngjae would think something like that. Youngjae sobs again and Jinyoung’s face softens. He has known Youngjae for almost all his life and he noticed since the beginning that Youngjae was the stronger of the two; the one that no matter what happened was always smiling. He’s always there to hold Jinyoung when he falls and to cheer him up when he’s down. He endures every adversity better than Jinyoung and is always eager to help others; but Youngjae is human and he can’t be the strong one all the time. Jinyoung knew that one day Youngjae’s kind heart would cause him pain, and that’s why he has always been glued to him, to be able to soothe his sorrow and hold him when he’s fragile.

“Youngjae” Jinyoung softly says, catching Youngjae’s chin between his fingers and lifting it from his chest so he can look at Youngjae in the eyes, “Youngjae, you’re not abnormal and much less are you disappointing. Why are you saying such things?”

“You…” Youngjae says, drying his tears with the sleeve of his sweater, “you were taking your time to answer me so I thought you didn’t agree with me and that it wasn’t what you expected me to say”.

“That’s totally not it” Jinyoung says, cupping Youngjae’s face with is hands. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you an answer quickly. I was just trying to figure out what to tell you because you surprised me, that’s all”.

“But aren’t you disappointed at me?” Youngjae asks with still teary eyes.

“Of course not, why would I? In fact, I’m glad you made a resolution about what you want”.

“You aren’t weirded out because I want to be with two guys at the same time?”

“As long as you’re happy” Jinyoung says with a smile.

Youngjae’s face falls at that.

“That’s the problem” Youngjae says, “I think I’ll be happy with them but what if I lose Jackson and Jaebum?”

“If I’m being honest” Jinyoung says, taking Youngjae’s hand between his, “I don’t mind you dating two guys at the same time, but I think it’s not fair for Jackson. He has always been good to you and he has been after you longer than Changkyun or that Jaebum guy, so I think he deserves a chance”.

“You’re right” Youngjae says, “but Kihyun and Jackson aren’t friends. What if it doesn’t work and I end up hurting the two of them?”

“Then why don’t you date Jackson and Jaebum?” Jinyoung suggests. “They don’t know each other yet, so maybe you can get them to like each other before asking them out”.

“But wouldn’t it be unfair for Kihyun?” Youngjae asks, thinking about Jinyoung’s words about Jackson. “Like you said, he has always been good for me too and he has been with me for a long time already”.

“Ah, you’re right. It’s not that I don’t like Kihyun but…” Jinyoung mumbles, playing with the hem of his shirt while Youngjae stares at him expectantly. “I haven’t told you this before, but I saw you and Jaebum at your birthday party, and he gave me the feels that he could be the right one for you. He was looking at you with so much love, Youngjae, as if you were the sun and he a flower that needs you to live but that can’t reach you”.

“Don’t you think you’re exaggerating it a bit?” Youngjae asks, but still allows his mind to wonder if Jaebum looks at him like that.

“I’m not” Jinyoung says, “believe me, Youngjae. I only looked for a short moment but it was enough for me to see that he’s truly in love with you. The way he looks at you is the way I look at Mark”.

“You don’t know how you look at Mark” Youngjae says, “or have you watched yourself in a mirror as you do?”

Jinyoung glares at him.

“You brat!” he says, hitting Youngjae playfully with a cushion. “I’m here trying to help you and you’re just making fun of me!”

“I’m sorry, Jinyoung! I couldn’t help it!” Youngjae says with a smile, and Jinyoung’s previous anger disappears at that.

“It’s okay, at least you smiled” Jinyoung says, taking his forgotten cup of tea again in his hands thinking that Youngjae doesn’t want to talk about the issue more.

Youngjae follows Jinyoung and both of them just drink their beverages in silence. Jinyoung is about to ask Youngjae if he wants to watch a movie or something when Youngjae softly asks a question that leaves Jinyoung paralyzed.

“Am I bad a person, Jinyoung?”

Jinyoung frowns at him even though Youngjae isn’t looking at him. He’s staring at the floor with a concerned face and it pains Jinyoung’s heart. He understands how Youngjae could have reached that conclusion, but Jinyoung can’t see malice in him.

“You’re not a bad person, Youngjae” Jinyoung seriously says. Youngjae turns to stare at him and waits for him to continue. “It’s not as if you were playing deliberately with their hearts. You just want to make them happy, to love them and to be loved in return, and that’s not bad. It’s just that our world doesn’t work like that, and you’re expected to choose just one partner to love until you die. But that doesn’t make you evil, Youngjae. You’re hurting too”.

Youngjae bites his lip, wondering about Jinyoung’s words. A part of him is relieved that his best friend doesn’t think of him as a bad person, but he can’t shake the feeling that he’s doing bad to all his friends.

“Maybe you don’t see me as a bad person” Youngjae says then, now staring at Jinyoung in the eyes, “but if I end up being hated by everyone, what will you do?”

Jinyoung smiles at him before clutching Youngjae’s hand in his.

“I will stay by your side” Jinyoung says, “even if the world is against us, I won’t let go of you. You’re stuck with me forever”.

“But I don’t want you to get hated just because I am” Youngjae says with a pout.

Jinyoung then throws himself onto Youngjae, hugging him tightly while Youngjae squirms beneath him.

“Then I will mend whatever you did to get hated and show the world that you are the most loveable person ever” Jinyoung says, “and if it doesn’t work then I will shower you with tons of love until we die”.

“Ugh, if your love is as heavy as you are then I will die sooner than you expect” Youngjae says, trying to free himself from Jinyoung’s bear hug.

“I love you too, my precious baby Youngjae” Jinyoung playfully says.

Jinyoung tightens his embrace and Youngjae sighs, wondering what he has done to deserve this.

When Jinyoung leans forward and pecks his cheek he realizes that he actually deserves this. He really deserves Jinyoung’s treatment for not telling him about Yugyeom.

But he isn’t going to mention it to him anytime soon. Jinyoung’s love isn’t going to kill him but Jinyoung’s wrath probably will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY I'M BACK!  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~! I'm sorry for the late update. I wanted to finish my other fic and I kind of left this forgotten, but I'll be taking it again and I hope I'll be able to update more frequently :)  
> Jinyoung and Youngjae are so damn cute and so friendship goals. It wasn't my intention to make their meeting so emotional but it happened and I liked it. Things are going to get heated from now on so embrace yourselves: drama is coming! But first we'll have MarkJin's date so you'll have time to prepare for what's coming next ;p  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3  
> P.S: I freaking love Mark and Shownu a lot in this fic. And I've noticed that I'm becoming Jaebum always requesting my friends to bring me food whenever they visit me.


	19. Dates

Saturdays are the most peaceful days of the week for Mark. He usually spends them at the shelter taking care of the animals and attending any emergencies that could pop out during the day.

But today is not a normal Saturday for Mark. Today is the day he and Jinyoung are having their first real date.

He finishes organizing the tools of the clinic and checks the hour, thing he has been constantly doing since he started his shift. Normally he’s not eager to leave but today is an exception.

He smiles upon seeing that there’s only five more minutes until Jinyoung comes to pick him up for their date. He was very mysterious about it. He only gave Mark the hour but he didn’t give him any details about the place or the things they’re going to do.

He goes to the restroom and changes into his normal clothes. Jinyoung told him he didn’t need to wear something fancy, so he has stayed casual in his red sweatshirt and ripped jeans. He checks the hour before styling his hair a bit and adding some perfume.

He checks his appearance and gives it a firm nod. He cheers for himself and then leaves, trying to calm the loud thumps of his heart inside his chest.

He’s almost out of the shelter when someone calls his name from the inside. He turns around and sees the whole squad –Minjun, Taecyeon, Junho and even his boyfriend, Chansung, along with his friend Nickhun and Wooyoung, the last acquisition of Mr. Park Jinyoung for his shelter- staring at him with wide smiles.

“We only wanted to wish you good luck for today” Minjun explains.

“I hope you’ll have a nice day with your date” Junho says with a sincere smile. Chansung smiles affectionately too by his side.

“We’ll be waiting for news!” Nickhun says.

“Fighting!” Taecyeon yells, giving Mark thumbs up.

“Thank you guys” Mark says, smiling at them too. “I hope I won’t mess it up. I really want to be with Jinyoung”.

“Aw, sweetie” Minjun says, walking towards him and placing his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll go wonderful for you, darling”.

“How can you be so sure?” Mark asks.

Minjun smiles at him before placing both hands on Mark’s shoulders and turning him around so he can see the street.

Mark’s eyes widen as he sees Jinyoung getting out of his car, looking like a prince as always with his sweater nicely tucked under his pants and his hair styled backwards, showing his glorious forehead.

Mark gulps as he watches the unsuspecting Jinyoung opening the co-pilot’s door to grab something. As he bends down to collect it his pants tighten and Mark’s mouth waters at the delicious view of his perfect round ass.

After he’s done Jinyoung closes the door and locks the car. He then looks at the shelter’s door and smiles as he sees Mark and the others standing right there staring at him.

Mark has a millisecond to compose himself before Jinyoung opens the door and comes in, hiding something behind his back.

“Hi” Jinyoung says. Minjun, Taecyeon, Junho, Chansung, Nickhun and Wooyoung greet him back politely while Mark just stands there, bewitched by Jinyoung’s stunning visuals.

“It’s good to see you here again, Jinyoung” Minjun says.

“You’re always welcome here” Taecyeon adds.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it” Jinyoung says, smiling at them but stealing glances at Mark waiting for him to say something.

“I think we haven’t met before” Junho intervenes, offering his hand to him. “My name is Junho. I work here in the clinic with Mark. He’s a really nice kid”.

“Nice to meet you” Jinyoung politely says.

“These are my boyfriend Chansung” Junho continues, “his friend Nickhun and Wooyoung, our new vet”.

“Nice to meet you” Jinyoung repeats, shaking each one of the other boys’ hands. “I’m Jinyoung, Mark’s…”

“Boyfriend, we know” Chansung intervenes.

“Uh, well” Jinyoung says, “I don’t know if I have that title yet…” he glances at Mark, who blushes at that. Seeing his reaction Jinyoung chuckles before adding “but I look forward to it”.

Mark blushes even more while the other six guys smile at him, pleased.

“I think we should get going…” Mark shyly says.

“Wait,” Jinyoung interrupts, “I have something for you”.

Mark stares curiously at him. Jinyoung smiles sweetly and then reveals what he has been hiding behind him.

The six older guys can’t stop the ‘awwww’s and ‘oooooh’s that come out from their mouths as they see Jinyoung handing Mark a beautiful red rose.

“I saw it on my way here and it reminded me of you” Jinyoung says as Mark reaches out to take the flower in his hand, “because you’re beautiful”.

“T-thank you” Mark stutters, examining the rose carefully as if it was a sacred object.

“Well guys, I think it’s your time to leave” Minjun says, practically pushing both guys outside, “have a nice day!”

Jinyoung waves at them before leaving with Mark, who turns around to smile at his friends because for once in their lives they have behaved decently in front of his crush.

“Did you like it?” Jinyoung asks, seeing how Mark can’t take his eyes away from the flower.

“I love it” Mark says, “but you didn’t have to”.

“But I wanted to” Jinyoung says, taking the rose in his hands and placing it behind Mark’s ear. “It suits you well”.

“Thank you” Mark says, trying to calms his heart as he gets in Jinyoung’s car.

“Look, Mark” Jinyoung says seriously as he starts the engine, “if it makes you nervous we can forget about this being a date. We can act as if we were on a friendly meeting if it makes you more comfortable”.

“No, Jinyoung” Mark quickly answers, “I’m fine. I want to do this”.

Jinyoung smiles.

“Let’s get started then”.

 

Youngjae is bored in his room when his phone starts ringing. He quickly gets up from his bed –where he was just lying down without doing anything—and answers the phone with a smile after seeing who’s calling.

“Hey, my baby otter” Jackson says through the phone, “wanna hang out today?”

Youngjae smiles widely at that before answering with an excited ‘yes’.

 

Mark sits down on the huge blanket Jinyoung has brought for their picnic date. He starts taking out the meals from the basket following Jinyoung’s orders while he gets ‘something else’ from his car. Mark wonders what could it be when he hears a familiar bark near him.

“Coco!” Mark yells, turning around in the direction of the sound and opening his arms for the dog to come to him.

Coco barks once more before jumping on Mark’s lap and attempting to lick his face while Mark hugs her smiling widely.

“I supposed you’d wanted to see her” Jinyoung says, sitting down by Mark’s side and smiling fondly at the other, “and Youngjae said it was okay for me to take her so…”

Mark caresses her fur before taking the dog again between his arms and squishing it against his face.

“Thank you for bringing her here” Mark says, finally looking at Jinyoung while smiling cutely, “I missed her. And thank Youngjae too for allowing you to bring her”.

“It’s nothing. When I mentioned I wanted to bring her to our date Youngjae gave her to me willingly”.

Mark grins at him before freeing Coco and placing her on the ground. Jinyoung takes out a special plate for her and fills it with her food.

“I do really appreciate this” Mark says, touching delicately the flower on his ear “you’ve cooked for the two of us, brought Coco here and also gifted me this beautiful flower”.

“Well, what can I say?” Jinyoung says with a small smile, taking one of his homemade dishes between his hands. “I wanted this day to be perfect”.

Jinyoung grabs a pair of chopsticks and attempts to feed Mark, who willingly opens his mouth and accepts everything Jinyoung gives him with a smile.

 

Youngjae is already waiting by the door when Jackson finally arrives. He wastes no more than a millisecond to open the door after hearing the doorbell.

“Woah, that was fast” Jackson says, visibly surprised by Youngjae’s speed.

“I couldn’t wait” Youngjae says, hugging Jackson tightly as if he hadn’t seen the other in a while. “I really wanted to see you”.

This causes Jackson to smile affectionately, grinning even more as he feels Youngjae nuzzling his head against his neck.

“I wanted to see you too” Jackson says, “it feels like an eternity since the last time we hanged out together alone”.

“I know” Youngjae says, and then adds in a lower tone “I’m sorry about it, I know it’s my fault…”

“What are you saying, baby otter?” Jackson says, grabbing Youngjae by the arms and separating him from his body so he can look at him directly in the eyes, “It’s not your fault, okay? We both had things to do, but right now we’re here together, and that’s what really matters”.

Youngjae smiles at him, hugging him again and enjoying the warmth that irradiates from Jackson’s body.

“Well,” Jackson says, hugging Youngjae and caressing his back delicately, “are you going to let me in or what? It’s not that I don’t like you hugging me, but…”

Youngjae breaks the hug and happily grins at him, holding Jackson’s hands and leading him inside.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?” Youngjae politely asks Jackson as the other strips out of his jacket.

“Maybe some tea?” Jackson asks.

“Organic, of course” Youngjae answers with a smile and goes to the kitchen to prepare it.

Jackson follows him, leaning against the counter while watching closely how Youngjae prepares their drinks.

“How have you been?” Jackson asks him.

“Good, and you?” Youngjae says, diverting his sight towards Jackson and smiling at him.

“I’ve been very busy this week, but now everything is okay” Jackson answers sincerely. Seeing Youngjae’s wonderful smile really heals his soul.

Youngjae doesn’t say anything but keeps smiling as he continues preparing the tea for them. Jackson takes a minute to just appreciate Youngjae’s beauty before speaking again.

“I wanted to ask you something” Jackson says, and Youngjae quickly stares back at him with intrigued eyes. “An acquaintance of mine throws a costume party next Friday and I was wondering if you would like to come with me? You can invite Jinyoung too if you like. Or whoever you want to invite. My friend told me I was free to invite as many persons as I wanted to; so what do you say?”

“God, I would LOVE to go!” Youngjae answers excitedly. “It’s been a while since I last came to a costume party! It would be so fun if we went! And we could all wear matching costumes; it would be twice as fun!”

“So it’s that a yes?” Jackson asks while wriggling his eyebrows.

“Of course, count on me!” Youngjae exclaims. “I’m going to text Jinyoung. I hope he’ll want to come. You said I can invite whoever I want, didn’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right” Jackson says, grinning widely as he watches Youngjae happily typing on his phone. “You can ask him to invite Mark too. And you can also ask Kihyun and Yugyeom if they would like to come”.

Upon hearing their names Youngjae’s smile falters a bit. He knows Jackson and Kihyun aren’t in good terms, so he wonders if it’s okay for him to ask Kihyun to come.

“Are you sure?” Youngjae asks. “That I can invite whoever I want?”

Jackson smiles while nodding.

“Of course” Jackson says, “the more the merrier”.

Youngjae is still doubtful for a moment, but since Jackson is still smiling at him he figures that he’s okay with Kihyun coming.

“I’m going to invite some friends, okay?” Youngjae asks him, just to make sure that Jackson is completely fine with that.

“Go ahead” Jackson answers, his smile never faltering.

Youngjae grins pleased to him and starts typing again on his phone.

_Mission ‘getting Youngjae to lure Jaebum into the trap’: success_ , Jackson thinks.

 

Jinyoung’s phone buzzes inside his pocket and he glares at it before taking it out. Mark stares at him curiously while playing with Coco and her toys. Judging by Jinyoung’s face, he is upset about something interrupting their date; but seeing how Jinyoung’s face softens as he stares at his phone, Mark knows it’s Youngjae who texted him.

“Hey, Mark” Jinyoung softly calls him, “Youngjae texted me. He asks if we would like to go to a costume party next Friday”.

“A costume party?” Mark asks, tilting his head to the side cutely.

Jinyoung chuckles at the sight.

“Jackson invited him” Jinyoung explains, “and he says we can go too if we want”.

“I think it would be fun” Mark says, petting Coco’s fur. “I would really like to go with you”.

“As in on another date?” Jinyoung asks wriggling his eyebrows.

“W-well, if you would like to…” Mark says blushing a bit.

“Then it’s a yes” Jinyoung says, typing a reply for Youngjae on his phone.

Mark smiles at him. It’s been a while since he last wore his Pikachu costume. Besides, he knows that Jinyoung is not a big fan of parties but the fact that he would like to go with him has touched his heart.

“Youngjae says they will be wearing onesies” Jinyoung says, staring at Mark waiting for a response.

“I have a Pikachu onesie” Mark says, “will it be enough?”

Jinyoung stares at him lovingly for a second before typing again in his phone.

“It’ll be enough” Jinyoung says, chuckling to himself. “I can’t miss the chance to see you in a Pikachu costume. I’m sure you’ll be super cute”.

Mark blushes again, leaving Coco in peace to hug his legs against his chest and hide his red cheeks away from Jinyoung.

“I’ll have to get one for myself” Jinyoung mumbles to himself. When he’s finished he looks at Mark and furrows his eyebrows seeing him like that. “Mark, is everything okay?”

Upon hearing his name Mark raises his head, giving Jinyoung a reassuring smile.

“Yes, everything is fine” he answers, “I was just wondering…”

Jinyoung can see how nervous Mark is, so he just stays silent but holds Mark’s hand in his, caressing it to calm down his nerves.

His touch has a soothing effect on Mark, who inhales and exhales deeply before asking the question that has been disturbing him since a while ago.

“I was wondering if this means that we’re… officially dating now?” Mark says, surprising Jinyoung with his candour.

He needs to let it all out now before he starts getting nervous again, so he keeps talking without allowing Jinyoung to say anything.

“Because I really would like to” he continues, staring at Jinyoung directly in the eyes. “I really do like you, Jinyoung. A lot. But at the same time I have my insecurities. I’ve only had one serious relationship in my life and I’m afraid I could mess it up and I don’t want to be heartbroken again…”

“Mark” Jinyoung says softly, holding Mark’s hand properly and smiling whole-heartedly at him, “I really like you too, a lot actually. I know it’s difficult for you to express yourself sometimes and you must be very nervous right now; but you don’t have to be scared. I can’t promise you anything because I can’t see the future and we can’t know what’s coming for us. But I really want to try making things work between us, so I’ll hand you the control in the relationship”.

Mark stares surprised at him. He was kind of expecting Jinyoung to feel disappointed or mad at him, but Jinyoung never fails to impress him with his understanding and kind heart.

“You’ll set the pace we’ll be going from now on” Jinyoung adds, taking Mark’s other hand in his too. “I won’t rush anything. I’ll go with your flow. If you want us to move forward, we’ll move forward; if you want us to stop for a bit where we are, then we stop. I’ll adjust to your rhythm. I just want you to feel comfortable around me”.

Jinyoung is smiling at him so sincerely, so purely that Mark feels like crying. He can’t believe he has found a person that is putting Mark’s needs before his and seeks for Mark’s comfort before anything else. Jinyoung is truly a blessing and Mark can’t help himself as he releases Jinyoung’s hands to give him a proper hug, almost throwing himself onto Jinyoung, who catches him and holds him tenderly between his arms.

“I would really like to try” Mark says against Jinyoung’s chest. “I really want us to be together”.

Jinyoung smiles while caressing Mark’s hair affectionately.

“Then it’s settled” he says, “we’re dating from now on. We’re following your pace. Thank you for giving me this chance, Mark. I’ll make it worth for you”.

“No, Jinyoung” Mark says, breaking their hug to stare at Jinyoung’s shining eyes, “thank you for understanding me. Thank you for caring about my comfort. Thank you for everything”.

Jinyoung is about to say that he’s the one who’s thankful for getting to know him when Mark unexpectedly leans forward and silences him with a kiss. Jinyoung wasn’t expecting something like that, especially after sensing that Mark was a bit uncomfortable after they shared their first kiss; but just like Jinyoung surprises Mark, Mark also surprises Jinyoung doing things like this. Jinyoung thinks is utterly adorable how Mark seems uncomfortable with a lot of things but always relaxes when he’s with him, how he lets Jinyoung know that he likes him with small details like holding his hand or kissing him unexpectedly.

This kiss lasts more than the first one, but ends likewise. Mark smiles at him adorably before retreating back, taking Coco again in his lap while Jinyoung watches them with love in his eyes.

Jinyoung knows Mark still needs time to unwind around him. But he doesn’t mind the waiting, especially not now that he can call Mark his boyfriend.

Mark calls him name and invites him to play with Coco. As he runs towards the dog and his smiling boyfriend, Jinyoung is sure that Mark is worth all the waiting in the world.

 

After discussing the costumes for the party, Jackson and Youngjae go to the mall to get a pair for them and one for Jaebum. Youngjae quickly picks an otter onesie for himself, pleasing Jackson, and also chooses a Squirtle one for him. They are currently searching one for Jaebum because according to Youngjae he has to wear something _special_.

Jackson doesn’t mind. In fact, he’s glad he came so he can take a look at the costume Jaebum is going to wear to identify him at the party.

What he wasn’t expecting is Youngjae rummaging through the most eccentric ones. He thought Jaebum was a though man; there’s no way he’s going to wear any of the costumes Youngjae is selecting for him.

“This” Youngjae says, holding a blue unicorn onesie in his hands, “this is the one Jaebum is going to wear”.

Jackson wants to complain that there’s no way Jaebum is going to wear something like that, but seeing Youngjae so confidently picking it and leaving to buy it for Jaebum makes him remain silent.

Now he can only pity the poor man. Because there’s also no way he’s going to resist Youngjae if he asks him to wear that unicorn onesie. Youngjae is probably going to be extra adorable –if that’s actually possible—while requesting it. And no one, NO ONE, is able to resist him when he does _aegyo_.

 

“Thank you for today” Mark says, standing by his door in front of Jinyoung.

“You’re more than welcome” Jinyoung says, smiling gently at him.

“Text me when you get home, please” Mark says, smiling too.

Jinyoung chuckles and reaches for Mark’s hand, who allows him to take it eagerly.

“Will I see you soon again?” Jinyoung asks him with pleading eyes.

Mark gives him a cute smile and pecks his cheek.

“I’m busy tomorrow morning” he says, “but I have nothing to do in the evening”.

“Interesting” Jinyoung says, feeling extremely happy that Mark wants to see him again so soon, “I’ll call you when I get home then, and we’ll settle the date”.

“Okay” Mark says, “drive safely! We’ll talk later”.

Jinyoung smiles and kisses Mark’s cheek.

“Goodbye, Mark” Jinyoung says but doesn’t let go of Mark’s hand, “I really enjoyed our date”.

“Me too” Mark declares, “goodbye, Jinyoung”.

Jinyoung walks away, still holding Mark’s hand until they can be no longer remain joined. He then waves at Mark and gives him a last smile before getting in his car and driving away.

Mark watches him until Jinyoung’s car is out of his vision and he opens the door to his house.

Once inside, he can’t suppress the cry of happiness that escapes past his lips. It has been a long time since he has felt this glad, this blissful. He dances through his entire house, celebrating the successful date until his clumsiness kicks in and he falls on the carpet of his living room.

But it doesn’t stop his laughter. It doesn’t stop until a while later, when his phone rings and he has to stop laughing to pick it up.

“Hi, boyfriend” Mark says as soon as answers the call.

He hears Jinyoung laughing at the other side of the call and he starts laughing again.

Definitely, nothing can stop his happiness today.

 

Jackson’s day was perfect. Everything he had planned went well and he had Youngjae for himself the entire time.

They made a few purchases and had a small date at a cosy café. They talked a lot and Youngjae kept smiling all the time.

When they were finished, Youngjae invited Jackson to his house to have dinner with him. Of course Jackson accepted, and they even bought some meat for the two of them.

Everything was going well until they came back home to a clingy Yugyeom who apparently can’t keep his hands to himself and has to be touching Youngjae all the time.

“Don’t you have anything to do right now like homework or something?” Jackson asks him clearly upset when Youngjae leaves to the restroom.

“Nope, I’m completely free” Yugyeom says with a smirk.

“Okay, but can’t you just go away for a while?” Jackson politely requests, putting his best pleading smile on his face.

“Why?” Yugyeom asks back. “Am I cock-blocking you or something?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you’re doing” Jackson says. “And I think it’s unfair, because that entire Jaebum plan came out from my head and you’re being so ungrateful to me for that”.

“It’s not that much of a good plan, you know” Yugyeom cockily says.

Jackson sighs.

“Please, Yugyeom” Jackson pleads with his puppy eyes. “Leave us for a while, okay? You spend with Youngjae a lot of time and we haven’t seen each other in a while…”

Yugyeom stares pensive at him. Jackson can’t believe he’s as desperate as to be begging Yugyeom for a moment with Youngjae, but right now alone time with his otter is all he wants.

“I’ll buy you whatever you want” Jackson adds, seeing that Yugyeom isn’t answering him.

“Really?” Yugyeom asks, now truly interested in what Jackson has to offer.

Jackson nods.

“I’ll buy whatever you want for you, but please let me be with Youngjae for tonight, please”.

Yugyeom ponders about it for a while until he hears Youngjae coming back from the bathroom.

“Okay, you win” Yugyeom whispers to him, “I’ll tell you in the future what I want”.

Yugyeom gives him a sly grin before going away.

“What were you speaking about?” Youngjae asks Jackson when Yugyeom closes the door to his room.

“He was asking me to bring him some meat” Jackson says, feeling some pity for the kid.

“I thought he was going to join us” Youngjae says, sounding somewhat disappointed, “but I guess he has things to do, so we shouldn’t bother him”.

Jackson smiles at him, feeling apologetic for sending Yugyeom to his room; so when the meat is cooked he brings some to the younger boy, who smiles at him, feeling a bit touched by the gesture.

 

After dinner, Youngjae and Jackson decide to watch a movie in Youngjae’s room. Jackson throws himself on the bed as Youngjae prepares everything in his laptop. When he’s done he places his laptop on Jackson’s lap while he arranges himself on the bed. Jackson watches carefully as Youngjae rests his head on Jackson’s shoulder and hugs him from the side, so naturally as if it was something he’s accustomed to do every day.

As they watch the movie, Youngjae can’t help but appreciate how endearing is the way they naturally fit in together. When they’re together both of them tend to invade the other’s vital space without asking, but that’s just the level of reliability and comfort they have between them.

Jackson falls asleep before the movie finishes. Youngjae doesn’t realize until the movie is over, since both of them remained silent the entire time, just enjoying each other’s warmth. He smiles at how adorable Jackson is when he sleeps before removing the laptop from his lap and placing it on the bedside table. Then he rearranges himself in Jackson’s embrace, who seems to feel Youngjae in his sleep and holds him tighter.

At first it’s difficult for Youngjae to fall asleep. With his head against Jackson’s chest, he wonders if Jackson is the right choice for him. They are comfortable with each other and have good synergy. Besides, Jackson is really gentle and always treats him with care and respect.

But then there’s Kihyun, who also has good chemistry with him and spoils him a lot; and Changkyun, who always surprises him with adorable details besides himself being extremely cute too.

And Jaebum, who doesn’t only attract him powerfully but also understands him in levels others don’t.

And even if he still tries to deny it, there’s also Yugyeom who is constantly tempting him, being all sexy one minute and the next being overwhelmingly cute.

Thanks to Jackson’s soothing heartbeats, Youngjae is able to succumb to slumber, leaving the issue unanswered for another day.

 

The sun is shining brightly on the sky this Sunday morning. The temperature is nice too; in general, is the perfect day to spend outside with your family and friends.

Or is the perfect day to ditch your ditching friends for a change, if you’re Im Jaebum.

He whistles a cheerful song as he waits for his best friends to appear. They have agreed to meet and have coffee and gossip about Mark’s and Hyunwoo’s dates.

Jaebum feels a bit jealous of them, but that doesn’t mean he’s not happy for them. He really cares about his friends, and even though his situation is complicated he’s glad his friends at least are doing fine.

Mark and Hyunwoo arrive at the same time. Jaebum smirks, already anticipating their reactions when he releases the news to them: that is, he won’t be able to attend with them that concert they’ve been speaking about for a while because he’s going to a party with Youngjae.

Mark and Hyunwoo grab a coffee before joining Jaebum who already has his order between his hands. He can’t wait for them to sit to tell them how he’s going to finally ditch them so they would feel how he feels every time they cancel on him.

The two older guys finally sit with Jaebum and salute him. Before the others can say anything, Jaebum clears his throat and stares at his friends with a smug face.

“We have to talk about the concert next Friday” Jaebum says. Mark and Hyunwoo stare at each other and Mark is opening his mouth to say something when Jaebum continues. “I’ve already made other plans with my crush so I can’t go with you guys, I’m sorry”.

Mark and Hyunwoo stare puzzled at him. Seeing them makes Jaebum even happier, and he can’t hide the smirk that takes form on his face, rejoicing in his triumph over his friends.

“Well, you know, I’m not really sorry” he cockily adds. “You two keep ditching me for your crushes, so now I’m feeling extremely overjoyed that this time is the other way around. So, tell me guys: how does it feel now, huh? How are you feeling right now?”

Mark and Hyunwoo look at each other before turning again to face Jaebum.

“Well”, Mark says, scratching the back of his neck as he talks, “I’m glad you’re bringing this up, because I’ve also made plans with my crush for next Friday and I wanted to talk about it with you in person”.

Jaebum stares incredulously at him with his mouth opened widely.

“Now that you’ve mentioned it” Hyunwoo says then, looking a bit apologetic “I’m glad you guys also have plans because I have a date with my crush too”.

Jaebum looks dumfounded at him for a second before resting his back on the chair and crossing his arms against his chest.

“Unbelievable” he mumbles.

By now he’s sure he won’t be able to beat his ditching friends never in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK WHO'S ALIVE!  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls! It's been so long since the last update, and I'm so sorry about that. It wasn't my intention to leave this fic neglected, but putting aside my exams and life in general, I've been experiencing a huge writer's block. This chapter took so long to be written because I wanted it to be a transition to the serious and complex part of the story. Unintentionally I focused more on the things that happen after this chapter rather than this chapter itself, and in the end I had no idea about what to write here. Fortunately my inspiration came back and I don't think there will be more problems from now on.  
> Thank you for waiting for me so patiently. And also big thanks to Jeong Sewoon's Baby it's you for giving me tons of inspiration while listening to it (if you haven't checked it out yet I highly recommend it, my baby is so talented <3).  
> I'll try to update as soon as posible. I hope you'll like my comeback, and be prepared for the drama ;)  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	20. The Decision

“There’s no way I’m wearing this”.

Jaebum paces around the room, arms crossed against his chest and eyes fixed on the blue unicorn onesie Youngjae bought for him. He was supposed to be meeting Youngjae thirty minutes ago at the party but he can’t bring himself to wear that ridiculous costume; much less when he’s riding his motorcycle.

“This is ridiculous” Jaebum mumbles, picking up the costume and giving it another review in case it appeals to him now.

He tries picturing himself on it in his head, but that only results in him throwing the costume carelessly to the bed.

“I can’t do it” Jaebum says, and it frustrates him because there’s nothing he can’t do in this world.

Aside from wearing a blue unicorn costume, that is.

Jaebum takes out his phone from his pocket and checks the hour. He’s late and he really wants to see Youngjae tonight but he can’t wear that costume. But on the other hand, he can’t back off now that he managed to almost ditch his ditching friends for once.

He glances again at the costume, still not convinced about wearing it when the screen of his phone lights up, signalling that he has received a new message.

After checking it he finally makes a resolution, sighing deeply as he picks up the unicorn costume.

“The things you make me do” Jaebum says, looking at Youngjae’s still opened text in his phone.

 

“Seriously guys, explain to me why Jinyoung isn’t wearing a matching costume as we are”.

Jinyoung sighs. It’s the umpteenth time this night that someone asks that question.

“He said he didn’t want to look as ridiculous as we do” Youngjae says, but he doesn’t seem offended by his best friend’s behaviour.

“But Mark is wearing a Pikachu costume” Jackson argues. “You’re his boyfriend but you aren’t wearing couple outfits”.

“I really don’t mind” Mark says sincerely, “Jinyoung looks amazing in his prince attire; makes me wonder if he’s disguised or not”.

Jinyoung smiles affectionately at him. Mark then realizes what he’s said and blushes, drinking a bit too fast from his cup.

“Thank you, Mark” Jinyoung says, “you’re the sweetest”.

Youngjae coos at them while Jackson pretends to be puking.

“I definitely need more booze if you’re going to keep that up all night” Jackson says before standing up and going away.

“Ignore him, I think you two are the cutest couple ever” Youngjae says.

Both Mark and Jinyoung smile at him, appreciating his support.

“Now if you excuse me” Youngjae says, also standing up from his seat, “I’m going to look for Changkyun. His friend finally got some free time and he wants me to meet him”.

“Have fun” Jinyoung says and waves to his friend.

Youngjae smiles at him and then walks away. As he watches him friend go Jinyoung’s smile starts to falter. He wants Youngjae to have fun tonight. He doesn’t want him to worry about his personal dilemma. He doesn’t want to see his friend crying and saying hurtful things about himself like the other day. He wishes he could protect Youngjae from being hurt, but unfortunately that power hasn’t been handed to him.

“Jinyoung, are you okay?” Mark asks worriedly.

Jinyoung snaps back into reality at that. He curses himself as he sees Mark’s concerned expression.

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry about that” Jinyoung says, taking a sip from his beverage. “It’s just that Youngjae is dealing with something big right now and I’m worried about him”.

“Oh” Mark murmurs, highly surprised about that. “Who would say, he’s always cheerful and all smiles”.

“He just doesn’t want anyone else to worry about him” Jinyoung answers, drinking again from his cup. “But I’m his best friend. It’s inevitable for me to worry about him”.

“Do you want to follow him and stay by his side?” Mark asks, sensing that Youngjae’s well-being is a truly important matter for Jinyoung.

Jinyoung stares at him, feeling extremely touched by Mark’s concern. He seems genuine, not like someone who only shows concern about his best friend to win him over without really caring about him. It only makes him realize that Mark is a person who has a lot of love inside but rarely displays it because he’s afraid he will end up hurt.

Jinyoung places his empty cup on the table to give Mark a hug. Mark is a bit surprised by it, but quickly responds to it. He guesses it’s something Jinyoung needs at the moment, someone to hold him, to reassure him that he has someone he can run to when things don’t go well.

“I do really appreciate it, Mark” Jinyoung sweetly whispers in Mark’s ear. “But we won’t have fun if we’re after Youngjae all the time. Besides, he has more people to look after him, don’t worry”.

“Are you sure?” Mark asks, caressing gently Jinyoung’s back.

“Yes, I’m sure” Jinyoung says, breaking the hug. “Tonight it’s for us to enjoy. After all, aren’t we having a date right now?”

Mark smiles at him. They have had a few more dates through the week, but every time Jinyoung says it Mark’s heart beats faster.

“I’m going to get us more drinks, okay?” Mark asks. He’s also making an effort to be more outgoing and take the lead in their dates.

Jinyoung smiles affectionately at him. Mark returns the smile before going away.

Mark doesn’t really know what’s going on with Youngjae, since Jinyoung doesn’t talk a lot about it; but he guesses it’s something about his love life. He can understand Jinyoung in that matter, after all his best friend is also suffering from lovesickness. He wishes there was something they both could do since they are their best friends, but it seems impossible for them. Mark wishes he could meet the person Jaebum is crushing on to tell him all the thigs he’s missing for not going out with him.

He’s about to reach his destination when he sees a rather familiar figure two steps before him. This person isn’t facing Mark but he could recognize that back and that bear costume anywhere.

“Hyunwoo?”

The aforementioned one turns around violently at the call of his name, mirroring Mark’s astonished face as he sees who’s looking for him.

“Mark?” Hyunwoo asks approaching Mark. “What are you doing here?”

“My boyfriend invited me” Mark answers with a frown. “And you?”

“My boyfriend also invited me” Hyunwoo answers.

Both of them blink in confusion. Neither of them would have expected to meet the other at the same place, and isn’t it such a coincidence that both were invited by their respective boyfriends?

“Who… who is your boyfriend?” Mark curiously asks.

“His name is Minhyuk” Hyunwoo answers, and Mark wonders what are the odds that Hyunwoo’s Minhyuk is the same Minhyuk he knows, but then Hyunwoo is pointing a finger towards the direction Jinyoung is, leaving him beyond puzzled. “There he is, the blonde one who is talking with the raven haired one”.

“Jinyoung” Mark says, now leaving Hyunwoo a bit puzzled, “his name is Jinyoung, the raven haired one. He’s my boyfriend”.

“Woah, really?” Hyunwoo asks, staring back and forth between the two guys and Mark as the latter nods at him. “What a coincidence! Our boyfriends are friends!”

“Isn’t it amazing?” Mark asks, now feeling a bit happy for some reason. “Our boyfriends know each other and we also know each other. Unbelievable”.

“Maybe we can go on a double date sometime?” Hyunwoo excitedly asks. “Since they are friends and we are friends… I think it’ll be fun”.

“It would be really great” Mark agrees enthusiastically. “But we can’t tell Jaebum. It will make him feel bad because his love life is complicated”.

“I agree” Hyunwoo says, grabbing two cups for Minhyuk and himself. “We can tell him later when he feels better. You coming to tell our boyfriends the news?”

“After you” Mark says with a small smile, also taking two drinks for Jinyoung and himself.

Hyunwoo and Mark walk towards their respective boyfriends with huge smiles plastered on their faces. Jinyoung and Minhyuk are also smiling as they talk about something.

“Minnie, darling” Hyunwoo sweetly calls his boyfriend, “I didn’t know you knew Mark’s boyfriend!”

“Oh?” Minhyuk mumbles, both him and Jinyoung cutely tilting their heads to the side making their boyfriends’ hearts melt. “Do you know each other?”

“Of course!” Hyunwoo says. “He’s my best friend. The one I told you was a veterinary”.

“Oh my God!” Minhyuk says in a mix of confusion and amusement. “I should have put 2 and 2 together! But this city is so big, what were the odds that your vet friend was Mark?”

“I know! It’s amazing” Hyunwoo happily says, handing Minhyuk a drink.

“Isn’t it nice?” Jinyoung says, also smiling as he offers his hand to Hyunwoo for a shake. “I get to know Minhyuk’s boyfriend and one of Mark’s friends at the same time. I’m Jinyoung by the way”.

“Nice to meet you, Jinyoung” Hyunwoo says, politely accepting Jinyoung’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Mark. I’m glad we get to meet in person, he always talks so great about you I was starting to believe you were imaginary”.

“Hey!” Mark protests with a pout.

“But you seem really nice” Hyunwoo continues, grinning at Mark. “Well, you’re friends with Minhyuk, so it doesn’t really surprise me”.

“Thank you, Hyunwoo. You’re very kind” Jinyoung says, “would you like to join us sometime for a double date?”

“Mark and I were already talking about it, and it would be really a pleasure to have a double date with you too, if Minhyuk is okay with that”.

“I’m more than okay with that” Minhyuk answers with a sweet smile. “But it has to be some other time. Hyunwoo and I are kind of having a date right now”.

“We too” Jinyoung says. “Have fun tonight! We’ll talk about it more later”.

“Sure! See you soon!”

Minhyuk and Hyunwoo wave at them before leaving the other couple alone. Mark can’t stop smiling. He’s feeling at the top of the world right now.

“Your friend is really nice” Jinyoung says. “He and Minhyuk make such a sweet couple”.

“I’m happy you like Hyunwoo” Mark says. “He’s one of my favourite persons in this world along with you and Jb”.

“Jb is your other friend?” Jinyoung curiously asks. Mark is being really talkative tonight, probably because of the alcohol he’s taking.

“Yes, I’ll tell you about him some other day” Mark says, drinking a bit too quickly from his cup. “For now let’s just focus on us”.

“Something on your mind you wanna share?” Jinyoung asks him.

“Mmm” Mark says, finishing the whole cup in one go. “Have I told you how good you look tonight?”

“Yes, you have” Jinyoung answers tenderly with a smile, “but I don’t mind you saying it again”.

“You really do look good tonight” Mark says, drinking from the cup that was supposed to be for Jinyoung. “You’re always handsome but tonight… you look like the perfect prince charming”.

“Okay, I think we should get you some water” Jinyoung says.

Jinyoung gets up from his seat and grabs Mark’s hand, dragging him along with him. However, before they can reach their destiny Mark spins Jinyoung around and presses him against a wall; triggering some memories from a few nights ago that makes his body temperature rise violently.

“Mark?” Jinyoung asks, surprised by the elder’s bold acts.

Mark doesn’t answer; instead he places his lips on Jinyoung’s tempting ones. Jinyoung stares confused at him for a moment before allowing himself to melt against Mark’s body. Mark presses himself even more against Jinyoung, kissing him more passionately and needy, with Jinyoung giving as much as he receives.

 

“Guys, he’s here!”

At Kihyun’s warning Jackson and Yugyeom looks towards the entrance, where a boy with a blue unicorn onesie is trying to make his way through the crowded corridor.

“We have to make sure he doesn’t reach Youngjae” Jackson says, eyes fixed on Jaebum.

“Shouldn’t we be looking out for Youngjae though?” Yugyeom suggests.

“Look at how many people are getting in his way” Jackson says. “At this rate we won’t even have to move from our spot”.

Kihyun and Jackson smile devilishly while Yugyeom tries to find Youngjae in the distance.

 

Jaebum is lost. For some reason Youngjae isn’t answering his texts and he doesn’t know where the younger is. His only option is to find him on his own, but it’s getting complicated with the amount of people who are constantly trying to get his attention.

As he advances something yellow catches his attention. He sees someone wearing a Pikachu onesie, very similar to the one Mark owns, and he wonders if it could really be Mark; but as he gets closer he sees another person trapped between the Pikachu onesie and the wall and he disesteems the idea. Mark is not the type to do something like that so recklessly. Besides, what are the odds that he and Mark got invited to the same party?

With a shrug of his shoulders he forgets about the Pikachu onesie and continues searching for his sunshine.

 

“I don’t think this plan is working” Kihyun mumbles, frowning at Jaebum who keeps walking and stolidly rejecting all the people trying to flirt with him.

“He’s rejecting all of them without even blinking” Yugyeom comments.

“Then I’ll take care of it personally” Jackson says, already taking his leave.

“Where are you going?” Kihyun asks.

“To stop Jaebum, obviously” Jackson answers. “I’m the sexiest one out of the three of us, it’s impossible he doesn’t fall for these muscles”.

With that Jackson finally walks away. Behind him, Kihyun rolls his eyes while Yugyeom glares at him.

Jackson advances till he’s a few steps ahead of Jaebum and adopts a sexy pose, leaning against the wall with one of his arms.

“Hi-“ Jackson starts saying when Jaebum finally reaches him, but the other quickly cuts him without even sparing a glance at him.

“I’m not interested” Jaebum firmly says, passing in front of Jackson ignoring his existence completely.

 

“I knew this was going to happen” Kihyun mumbles face-palming himself.

“I can’t believe he rejected me” Jackson says dejectedly. “I’m so wild and sexy! How could he walk away like that?”

“The answer is simple: you’re not Youngjae” Kihyun answers.

“But did you saw how he looked at Mark?” Jackson asks. “He seemed interested. What if we talk to him and convince him to seduce Jaebum?”

“Then we’re going to die in Jinyoung’s hands” Yugyeom says terrified. “I’m already in his black list and I don’t want to provoke him”.

“I don’t like that plan either” Kihyun agrees. “Only Youngjae can seduce Jaebum”.

“Speaking about him” Yugyeom adds, “where is he?”

 

Youngjae is lost in the middle of a sweaty crowd holding two drinks as best as he can. Everything was calm when he came to get more booze but suddenly someone shouted something Youngjae couldn’t understand and now there’s no space to even breathe in the room.

He squeezes his body between two dancing girls and successfully escapes from a suffocating death just to realize that he’s completely lost. Suddenly someone passes rushing by his side with such violence that makes Youngjae’s dizzy body spin and collapse against something hard and two strong arms hold him before he falls to the ground and spills his drinks.

“Woah, thank you” Youngjae mumbles without looking at the person who just saved his life, more worried about the state of his drinks.

“Hello there, beautiful”.

Finally Youngjae raises his gaze to meet the owner of that voice: that one person that appears and disappears so suddenly that makes Youngjae wonder if he’s real or just a fantasy of his.

“Hi” Youngjae says, smiling at Hoseok who smiles back with that stunning smile of his.

“It’s really nice to see you again” Hoseok says, freeing Youngjae from his hold. “You look absolutely cute tonight”.

“Thank you” Youngjae says, examining Hoseok’s pink bunny onesie curiously “you look… well, you oddly look gorgeous in that”.

“Thank you, honey”.

“But are you even wearing something underneath?”

Hoseok takes two steps towards him, closing the distance between them even more with a smirk on his face.

“Why don’t you find out?” Hoseok asks with a wink.

Youngjae is tempted to do it, and he already has a hand on the zipper of Hoseok’s costume when he hears Jinyoung’s voice calling his name.

He diverts his gaze towards the sound of his best friend’s voice and sees him advancing towards him with Mark clinging to his hand. And as usual, when he turns back again Hoseok is nowhere to be seen.

“Youngjae” Jinyoung calls when he’s close to his best friend, “are you okay? You look as if you had just seen a ghost”.

“I’m good, don’t worry” Youngjae answers calmly, already used to Hoseok’s sudden disappearances.

“Good” Jinyoung says, and Mark giggles by his side. “Look, I’m glad you invited us to this party but we’ll be taking our leave now”.

“So soon?” Youngjae asks with a pout.

“I’m afraid Mark took more alcohol than his body can endure” Jinyoung answers, glancing slightly towards Mark who is clinging like a koala to his shoulder. “I think it’s better if we leave now, but we’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure, be careful on you way home” Youngjae says, understanding Jinyoung’s concern. “Text me when you arrive there”.

“Same to you” Jinyoung says with a smile, hugging Youngjae before leaving with Mark, who also smiles at Youngjae and waves his hand until they disappear through the crowd.

Youngjae then resumes making his way towards Changkyun again. He has spent the major part of the time with him, getting to know his best friend Hyungwon until he had to leave to attend a photoshoot tomorrow.

He spots Changkyun at the same spot he left him previously, distractedly looking at his phone. Youngjae smiles at him and walks the gap between them and then sits by his side, offering Changkyun a drink.

“Thank you” Changkyun says, hurriedly saving his phone in his pocket and accepting Youngjae’s drink with a smile.

“It’s a pity that Hyungwon couldn’t stay for a while longer” Youngjae says, placing his drink on the table. “I enjoyed talking with him a lot”.

“I was texting him just now. He says he’s sorry for leaving early and that he would like to meet you again. He says he likes you”.

“Ah, he’s really nice. Tell him I said thank you and that I’m looking forward our meeting soon”.

Changkyun nods and picks his phone again, sending Hyungwon a message with Youngjae’s exact words in it plus a warning that Youngjae is his.

“Well, it’s a pity that Hyungwon had to leave but we’re alone now” Changkyun mumbles, saving his phone again in his pocket.

“You’re right” Youngjae says, smiling playfully.

Changkyun leans towards Youngjae, staring at him in case he misunderstood Youngjae’s intentions, but when the latter closes his eyes waiting for him to close the gap that separates them he also closes his eyes. His lips are about to touch Youngjae’s when he feels a kick on his knee.

He opens his eyes again and brings his hands to his knee, hissing at the pain. When he looks up at the person who dared to interrupt him he isn’t surprised to see Kihyun grinning at him.

“Hi, guys” Kihyun greets, getting between Changkyun and Youngjae with two drinks in his hands. “Mind if I join you?”

“Of course not” Youngjae says excitedly while Changkyun wishes Youngjae wasn’t that kind to everyone.

Youngjae makes space for Kihyun to sit between them. He’s so happy Kihyun joined them; he loves when the three of them hang out together.

“Am I interrupting something?” Kihyun asks still smiling.

Changkyun glares at him. Of course Kihyun knows that he’s interrupting something, that’s why he’s doing it in the first place. Changkyun wants to strangle him so badly; more when Youngjae shakes his head and smiles cutely at him.

“Of course not, you’re always welcomed to join” Youngjae says.

Kihyun turns his head to smile at Changkyun proudly. Changkyun swears he would kill Kihyun right now if Youngjae wasn’t there.

“So,” Kihyun says, playing with one of the drinks he bought, “what were you guys doing?”

“Nothing” Changkyun answers, “we were about to have some fun but then a killjoy had to come in between”.

Kihyun smiles at him, satisfied with his work while Youngjae bites his lip in worry.

“Oh? But we still can have fun tonight” Kihyun says with a smirk.

Changkyun glares at him, knowing fully well Kihyun’s intentions while Youngjae’s mind takes those words another way.

Youngjae wonders if Kihyun really meant it that way. It’s true that Kihyun and Changkyun have gotten closer recently, but does he want the same as him? He would be happy if it was like that, but Kihyun hasn’t shown any sign of wanting to get physical with Changkyun too.

Just then Kihyun places his hand on Changkyun’s knee, squeezing it just where he had previously kicked him. Changkyun endures the pain as much as he can and smiles at Kihyun too, knowing that if he shows any kind of sorrow Kihyun will feel powerful against him and he’s not going to lose to him.

At the other side of Kihyun Youngjae watches the scene in awe. So not only does Kihyun actually want to get physical with Changkyun too: the younger also seems to want it.

Changkyun and Kihyun are still engaged on their staring contest when Youngjae makes a final resolution. He grabs one of the cups on the table and drinks the content in one go. He counts till ten, giving the alcohol some time to help him erase his nerves before getting up and making space for him between the other two.

Changkyun and Kihyun stare at him confused. Youngjae smiles first at Kihyun and then at Changkyun before turning towards Kihyun again and placing a kiss on his lips before any of the other two can protest; but Changkyun’s heart doesn’t have time to break because just a second after Youngjae is leaving Kihyun’s lips to attack his.

Youngjae breaks the kiss and smiles at both of them, intertwining his fingers with Kihyun’s and Changkyun’s.

“Why don’t we make an experiment?” Youngjae suggests.

“What kind of experiment?” Changkyun asks. He usually loves to experiment, but right now he doesn’t feel like it.

“Why don’t we try having a relationship?” Youngjae asks, and both Kihyun and Changkyun stare at each other frowning. “The three of us. Honestly speaking, I like you both, and you two also have some chemistry, so why don’t we try it out?”

Kihyun and Changkyun don’t know what to answer. Both of them obviously want to date Youngjae, but they don’t want the other doing it too at the same time. Besides, what if Youngjae makes them touch each other? The simple thought of doing it makes them grimace.

But on the other hand, it’s an excellent chance to show Youngjae how excellent boyfriend material they are individually. Maybe in the end Youngjae will choose just one of them, or they can still get rid of the other in the process.

Seeing that Changkyun and Kihyun are thinking hard about it, Youngjae gets up, taking the drink that was supposed to be for Changkyun and the two that Kihyun brought.

“I’ll give you guys some time to think about it” Youngjae says, “but remember it’s just an experiment, it’s nothing serious until we don’t test if it’d be successful or not”.

Youngjae smiles at them before leaving with three cups full of alcohol. Kihyun and Changkyun stare at him as he leaves, wondering if they should give it a try or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAN CHAAAAAN  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~! I'm so sorry for disappearing like that.... life has been hitting me hard and I barely had time to write. I'm sorry this is so late, I'll try updating more frequently. Another reason why this chapter comes so late is that I wanted to write the next one before publishing this as it is the continuation of this one. And I should warn you that next chapter is a bit... intense. And it'll be uploaded tomorrow :)  
> Thank you for your waiting. I hope you'll enjoy it!  
> P.S: this isn't the end of the fic but the start of the DRAMA.  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


	21. The Consequences

“I’m not going to touch you”.

“Me neither. Not even with a stick”.

Crossed arms, gazes avoiding each other… that’s the situation in which Kihyun and Changkyun are after Youngjae dropped the bomb and then left.

“I hate you” Changkyun adds, “I can’t believe Youngjae likes someone like you”.

“I can’t believe he likes someone like you either” Kihyun says with a scoff, “you’re not the great thing either”.

This time Changkyun turns around to glare at him.

“Ah, and what about you?” Changkyun sarcastically says. “That pink hair is ridiculous”.

“Youngjae likes it” Kihyun answers with a smirk.

“Or that’s what he makes you believe” Changkyun says back.

Kihyun is the one glaring intensely now.

“Look, you dumbass: like it or not, Youngjae likes the both of us; and I don’t know about you, but I really want to be with him”.

“I want to be with him too” Changkyun defensively says.

“There’s more people interested” Kihyun says. “I can’t miss this chance, even if it means having to share with you for a while”.

“I don’t like the idea either, but I’m going to prove to him that I’m better than you and then he will dump you”.

Kihyun snorts at that.

“We’ll see about that”.

 

After what felt like an eternity searching for Youngjae, Jaebum feels suffocated and in urgent need of fresh air, so at the first sight of an open door he goes out and inhales deeply. He hears a sound a few meters away from him and he finally finds what he was looking for since he stepped on this party.

Youngjae doesn’t sense him; he seems a bit busy emptying a cup in one motion and attempting to do the same with another one. Jaebum then sees that there’s even a third one and decides he has to intervene before Youngjae passes out or something worse.

“Hey, slow it down” Jaebum half shouts, running towards him.

Youngjae turns to him with the cup still in his hands, looking a bit lost until he narrows his eyes as if he was trying to identify him and finally smiles upon recognizing him.

“Jaebummie!” Youngjae says, tipsily getting up and running towards Jaebum to hug him.

Jaebum catches him and Youngjae giggles and embraces him tightly. Jaebum hugs him back, feeling so much warm inside his heart feeling the younger’s body so close to him.

“I’m so glad you came!” Youngjae excitedly murmurs against Jaebum’s neck.

“Me too” Jaebum says, still smiling.

Youngjae breaks the hug to grin at him with that angelic smile of his. Jaebum then is sure that everything he had to go through to find him was worth it just for this moment.

“You don’t know how happy I am to see you, sunshine” Jaebum mumbles, running a hand through Youngjae’s hair. “But why are you alone out here? Where are your friends?”

“Ah…” Youngjae mutters, escaping from Jaebum’s side and sitting again on the ground. “My best friend went home already. His boyfriend wasn’t feeling great”.

_That wasn’t what I was asking about but…_ , Jaebum thinks as he takes a seat besides Youngjae.

“And the others?” Jaebum asks, eyeing Youngjae carefully as the younger grabs one of the drinks. “Kihyun?”

Youngjae sighs before taking a long sip from his drink. Jaebum watches him suspiciously, wondering if the two inseparable friends have argued or something.

“Jaebum” Youngjae says after a moment of silence. The other stares at him curiously, finding his behaviour weird. “Can I ask you a question?”

_You could ask for the world and I would serve it to you on a silver platter_ , Jaebum thinks.

“Of course” Jaebum answers.

Youngjae then sips again before turning to look at him in the eyes.

“Have you ever done something you thought was right at that moment but after you did it you’re not sure about it anymore?”

Jaebum blinks, not expecting that kind of question coming out from Youngjae right now. He seemed a bit drunk earlier, but suddenly he seems completely sober and a bit sad too.

“Well,” Jaebum says, trying to answer Youngjae sincerely without considering _why_ is Youngjae asking about it in the first place, “right now I can’t think of any situation like that; but Youngjae, I don’t think there are right or wrong choices. Every choice has its consequences, and maybe what is right for you is wrong for other person and vice versa. Making choices is hard but it’s necessary, and when you decide to take one it’s because you want that, so you shouldn’t regret what you choose”.

“But it could hurt people I care about” Youngjae says, giving Jaebum all the answers he needed with that sentence.

“You can’t save everyone from getting hurt, Youngjae” Jaebum says with a small smile. “That will only make you unhappy, like you are right now. And I don’t want that for you”.

“What if I hurt you, Jaebum?” Youngjae asks seriously with a concerned face.

Jaebum studies him for a few seconds before speaking again.

“You made a choice, did you?” he asks carefully, as if he was afraid to break Youngjae with his words.

Youngjae nods sheepishly.

“I’ll be honest with you” Jaebum continues. “Since the beginning I knew you were going to hurt me at some point, so right now it doesn’t really surprise me”.

He sees Youngjae biting his lower lip while he stares at the ground with regretful eyes.

“But” Jaebum says, and Youngjae’s head rises violently at that, “that was also a choice I made. I knew about it but still accepted it because I wanted to be with you. I could have ignored you and I wouldn’t be hurt, but I didn’t want that”.

“I’m sorry it wasn’t worth it” Youngjae says, clutching the paper cup in his hands.

“Who says it isn’t worth it, Youngjae?” Jaebum says dead serious. “Who says you aren’t worth it? You’re worth everything and more. Do you think just because you didn’t chose me I’m going to leave you? That’s far from being the truth”.

“But you’re hurt” Youngjae argues.

“I’ll be hurt if you stop hanging out with me just because you got a boyfriend that isn’t me. I’ll be hurt if you ignore me, if you forget about me. I’m hurt because you didn’t choose me, Youngjae. But I’ll heal eventually just being by your side”.

Youngjae stares at him from head to toes, as if he didn’t believe Jaebum.

“Youngjae” Jaebum says softly, taking one of Youngjae’s hands between his, “you made a choice and I respect that. Just… just don’t throw me away from your life. I want to be there for you when you need me. If something happens to you, you can always come and talk to me. Don’t stop doing that just because you think you’re going to hurt me, because it will hurt more if you do. Do you understand?”

Youngjae blinks at him as if he was still processing everything Jaebum said, and eventually nods.

“Thank you, Jaebum” Youngjae mumbles, finishing his forgotten drink. “You always know what to say to cheer me up”.

“Anytime” Jaebum says with a wide grin. “But tell me: who is it? Who did you choose?”

“You really want to know?” Youngjae asks as he crushes the empty paper cup with one hand.

Jaebum firmly nods.

“I asked Kihyun and Changkyun out, as in dating the two at the same time. I told them it was only going to be an experiment until we are sure we can make it work, and it seemed right because Kihyun and Changkyun also have some chemistry. I left them to think about it and came here, and then I started to wonder if I did well”.

“Well, if you asked is because you wanted it. I hope it goes well for you, Youngjae. They are very lucky”.

Youngjae smiles a bit at him before chugging the remaining drink until the cup is empty.

“I think is time to go back and face the consequences of my decision” Youngjae says then, standing up and cleaning his attire before turning towards Jaebum. “Are you coming?”

Jaebum smiles at him and then shakes his head.

“I think I need some alone time now” he answers, and his heart bleeds as he sees Youngjae’s pained face after he says that. “I’ll be fine, okay? It’s just I’m not in the mood to party anymore”.

“I’m sorry, Jaebum” Youngjae honestly says. “I never meant to hurt you”.

Jaebum stands up then and walks towards Youngjae, stopping in front of him and reaching to caress his cheek with his hand.

“I know”, he says. “Everything is going to be okay, Youngjae. Now go in and be happy with your two boyfriends”.

Youngjae smiles sadly at him, placing his hand on top of Jaebum’s.

“You deserve more, Jaebum” Youngjae mumbles. “You’ll find all the happiness you truly deserve in this world, I’m sure of it”.

Jaebum smiles at him and they stare at each other for a moment, lost in each other’s eyes as if they wouldn’t see the other anymore. After a while Youngjae releases Jaebum’s hand and walks away, smiling one last time for Jaebum before disappearing into the house.

Jaebum follows him with his gaze until he can’t see Youngjae anymore, then smirks to himself before turning around and walking away.

“I will” he mumbles as he goes, “I’ll find happiness when you realize it’s me who you should be with”.

 

“I’m way more handsome than you”, Changkyun says, “I’m sure Youngjae knows but doesn’t tell you to not hurt you”.

“In your dreams” Kihyun says back. “I hope Youngjae realizes how much of a snake you are”.

“Excuse me?” Changkyun asks offended. “I’m the snake here? Are you sure? Because it was you who kicked my knee and then kept pressing the wound”.

“Then you should stop messing with me” Kihyun warns, “or you will end up worse than your stupid knee”.

“I would love to see you trying”.

Kihyun is actually going to beat the guy when he sees Youngjae walking happily towards them.

“Here he comes” Kihyun says, putting his best smile on for Youngjae. “If you ruin this I’ll end you”.

Changkyun glares briefly at Kihyun before smiling widely for Youngjae.

“Hey guys” Youngjae greets when he reaches the pair.

“Hi” both of them answer in unison and glare at each other after.

“Well…” Youngjae says, fumbling with his sleeves. “Have you talked about what I told you?”

“We have” Kihyun says before Changkyun can even open his mouth, “and we both want to try”.

“Really?” Youngjae eagerly asks.

“Yes” Kihyun and Changkyun say in unison again.

“I’m so glad!” Youngjae says, throwing himself onto Kihyun and Changkyun who hug him back. “We’re going to be so happy and have so much fun!”

Youngjae smiles, already anticipating it; meanwhile, Kihyun and Changkyun glare at each other, already thinking of ways to prove they are better than the other for Youngjae.

 

The following morning Yugyeom goes out from his room to get something to eat, but he stops before reaching his destination to check on Youngjae. He lost track of the older at the party and he wasn’t there when he arrived, but now his door is closed so Yugyeom guesses he’s home.

He thinks he should make breakfast for the both of them since last night they couldn’t spend a lot of time together. He may get something nice from Youngjae for it.

He’s making pancakes when he hears Youngjae’s door being opened and he turns around with his best smile for his favourite person in the world; but what greets him is not Youngjae and it’s not something he especially likes either.

It’s Changkyun.

Changkyun in one of Youngjae’s pyjamas lazily rubbing his eyes.

Yugyeom stares at him perplexed as the other sits at the table as if this was his house. Yugyeom is about to point that out and that he shouldn’t be wearing that when another person comes out from Youngjae’s room with another of Youngjae’s pyjamas.

Yugyeom stares puzzled at the two, wondering how in hell Youngjae could get them in the same room without trying to kill each other until another thought occupies his mind.

_Did they…_

Just then Youngjae comes out from the room too, wearing his usual pyjamas and his beautiful smile. Yugyeom checks him for possible hickeys –and because he looks utterly adorable—and sighs in relief after seeing that everything seems normal.

“Good morning, Yugyeom!” Youngjae happily says, sitting at the table in front of the other two.

“Morning” the other two greet lazily at the same time.

“Good morning to all of you” Yugyeom greets back a bit awkwardly. “Pancakes?”

 

After having the most awkward breakfast of his life, Yugyeom is left alone with Kihyun and Changkyun as Youngjae goes to have a shower.

“I’ll wash the dishes” Kihyun mumbles.

He attempts to get up from his seat but Yugyeom stops him from doing so.

“What is going on here?” Yugyeom asks with furrowed eyebrows. “Why are you two wearing Youngjae’s pyjamas and why is he so bubbly this morning?”

“We brought him home” Kihyun answers while Changkyun is still finishing his milk, “and he insisted we should spend the night here because his bed was big enough for the three of us”.

“And that’s all? You only slept?”

Changkyun eagerly nods while Kihyun raises an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, that’s all” Kihyun answers calmly, still judging Changkyun and his decision of having milk for breakfast, “we would never do anything Youngjae didn’t want from us”.

“Good to know” Yugyeom says feeling relieved.

“But you must know that he asked us out last night” Kihyun adds.

“WHAT?!” Yugyeom shouts and furrows his eyebrows again.

“He said he wanted to try going out with the two of us at the same time” Kihyun says, “it’s nothing serious for the moment, but if it works we’ll make it official”.

Yugyeom takes a minute to process the information while Changkyun finishes his milk and Kihyun is eager to take the mug away from his hands.

“But how about us?” Yugyeom asks Kihyun a bit hurt. “I thought we had an alliance to get rid of Jaebum and… you know”.

“I know it’s me” Changkyun says, not offended in the least.

Yugyeom looks at him apologetically.

“I know, and I’m sorry” Kihyun sincerely answers, “but Youngjae gave me a chance and I couldn’t say no. I hope you understand”.

Yugyeom glares at him.

“Well, I can understand it” he says, “but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to keep trying. After all, you said it’s not final, didn’t you? So you two better watch out or we’ll snatch Youngjae away from you”.

With those final words, Yugyeom leaves the room and closes the door to his bedroom with a loud tug. Kihyun sighs and gets up to wash the dishes.

“And that’s why we can’t mess this up, understood?” Kihyun whispers to Changkyun when he passes by his side.

 

“I should tell Jackson” Yugyeom decides.

He picks up his phone and searches for Jackson’s number. His finger is about to press the call button when images of Youngjae being all smiles and happy this morning flash in his mind.

Is he really the person who should tell Jackson about it? He doesn’t know how Jackson is going to react. He’s most likely to be hurt, and it’ll probably hurt more if it isn’t Youngjae who tells him about it.

He’s Jackson’s friend but he’s also Youngjae’s. And Youngjae seemed truly happy this morning with Kihyun and Changkyun. Is he really going to ruin that?

With a groan Yugyeom locks his phone and throws it on the bed. He better talk things with Youngjae first before doing something he might regret later.

 

Mark is greeted in the morning with a terrible headache. He rolls on the bed trying to hide from the sunlight when he realizes he’s not in his room.

The bed sheets, the sweet aroma of it… he’s unmistakably in Jinyoung’s house.

He turns around and finds the wristwatch he gave Jinyoung for his birthday resting on his bedside table. He then scans the room and finds his Pikachu costume neatly folded on a chair along with Jinyoung’s prince attire.

But there’s no sight of Jinyoung. He tries to get up from the bed to find him when he clumsily trips over his own feet and falls to the ground loudly.

Five seconds later he hears someone screaming his name and the door being opened and Jinyoung appears in front of him.

“Jesus Christ, Mark!”Jinyoung worriedly says helping Mark to get up, “are you okay?”

“Yes, yes” Mark answers, allowing himself to be led by Jinyoung to the bed again. “I’m just… clumsy”.

Jinyoung smiles affably at him.

“You’re so cute, Mark” he says before giving him a peck on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts” Mark says with a pout.

“I’ll bring you something to soothe it” Jinyoung says, rushing outside to find some medicine for his boyfriend.

Two minutes after Jinyoung comes back with a pill and a glass of water and offers it to Mark who takes it willingly.

“Thank you”, Mark says. “For future references, never let me drink that much again”.

“Noted” Jinyoung says with a smile, “now let’s get some breakfast. It’s recently made, so I hope you’ll like it”.

“I’m so hungry” Mark says, getting up from the bed.

Jinyoung then approaches him and places one hand in Mark’s hip and with the other he fixes his hair a bit.

“How come you still look handsome in your sportswear?” Jinyoung asks him.

Mark then is glad he wore it under his onesie or else it would have been embarrassing.

“I could say the same for you” Mark says, mirroring Jinyoung’s smile.

Jinyoung then leans in to kiss Mark’s lips, who eagerly gets closer to receive the kiss. Jinyoung kisses him gently, slowly but full of sentiment. Mark’s hands find their way to grip Jinyoung’s shirt to pull him closer as his heart starts beating faster.

Jinyoung squeezes his hip delicately before breaking the kiss, staring into Mark’s beautiful eyes and giving him another brief peck after. He then smiles to him and takes his hand in his, leading Mark through the house to have breakfast.

Mark hasn’t eaten yet but he feels full already, and he can’t help but smile all the way to the kitchen.

 

It isn’t until the night when Yugyeom finally gets some alone time with Youngjae. Kihyun and Changkyun stayed for the whole day, but Yugyeom made sure they didn’t have all the fun they were hoping to have with Youngjae.

Now they’re having dinner in peace while watching a movie. Youngjae is really into the movie while Yugyeom keeps stealing glances at him, wondering if he should ask Youngjae about Jackson.

But the more he looks at Youngjae, the more he forgets about the issue. Youngjae is so adorable, tilting his head to the side when he doesn’t understand something or pouting when his favourite characters don’t get what they want. It’s a really peaceful view and Yugyeom is afraid he’ll ruin it if he says something.

So he just stays silent and watches Youngjae for the rest of the night.

 

He doesn’t say anything the next day or the following after, and soon a week comes by without any incident.

 

It’s Monday when Jooheon has to do some errands and casually walks on Youngjae having a date with Changkyun and Kihyun, and after some considerations he tells Jackson about it.

Jackson calls Jinyoung, who doesn’t know anything about it. He then calls Yugyeom, who doesn’t notice it. He leaves a message for him too.

A message Yugyeom doesn’t see until it’s too late.

Until Jackson has already called Kihyun and confirmed the worst.

 

It’s Monday evening when Youngjae is working on his college project after having a delightful date with Changkyun and Kihyun. He feels very inspired right now, so he wastes no time writing lyrics on his laptop and testing different harmonies that could go well with them.

Suddenly he hears some loud knocks on his door. He wonders who could it be and why didn’t they ring the doorbell, and he grabs a broomstick just in case before opening the door.

It’s raining outside. As Youngjae walks towards the door he wonders who would adventure themselves outside in this weather. He hears more knocks, and he tightens his grip on the broomstick before turning the doorknob.

“Jackson?”

The other is standing outside the door, drenched from head to toes. His face is a mix of emotions Youngjae can’t decipher. He’s about to ask what’s wrong when the other gets ahead of him.

“Are you dating Kihyun and Changkyun?”

Youngjae flinches. He tried to be discreet about it. He didn’t want other people to know until he was sure it could work. He hasn’t even told Jinyoung; first because he was afraid of his reaction and second because he didn’t want to bother Jinyoung now that his relationship with Mark is growing strong.

He guesses life has other plans for him.

“I…” Youngjae mumbles, afraid of Jackson’s reaction.

“Answer me!” Jackson demands.

He’s angry and he’s hurt, but Youngjae decides he deserves the truth.

“Yes”, he answers, and his heart breaks as he sees Jackson’s face falling. “But it’s only an experiment; it’s nothing serious until we’re sure it can work”.

Jackson diverts his gaze from Youngjae and stares at the ground. Youngjae wants to say something to make him feel better, but right now the only thing that comes to his mind is that Jackson is still under the rain and he isn’t wearing a jacket.

“Jacks” Youngjae softly calls him, “can you come inside, please? You’re getting all wet and you’re going to catch a cold if you don’t-“

Jackson raises his head violently at that.

“I don’t care” Jackson answers, his face contorted in pure anger. “How could you, Youngjae? How could you do this to me?”

Youngjae moves back a bit, startled by Jackson’s reaction.

“It’s…” Youngjae mumbles, not sure what to say to calm Jackson down. He’s a bit scary like this. “It’s just an experiment, Jacks. It’s nothing serious until we-“.

“That’s not the thing, Youngjae” Jackson says, his eyes turning a bit teary. “The thing is you chose them before me. I can understand about Kihyun because you know him for almost the same time as you know me, but Changkyun? How could you choose a complete stranger before me?”

Youngjae’s heart clenches at that. He shouldn’t have taken Jackson for granted just because Jaebum was okay with it. Jackson and Jaebum are different persons and they feel different. He shouldn’t have assumed that Jackson would be okay with it just because Jaebum is.

He also should have been braver and have told Jackson before everything went down like this.

“You made a decision” Jackson continues since Youngjae isn’t saying anything. “And you’ve left me out of it after all we’ve been through. After all the time we’ve been together. After all the things we’ve shared. You’ve left me out after all that”.

“Jacks, I’m sorry” Youngjae mutters finally.

“I am too” Jackson says. “I was a fool for believing you would choose me at the end. I thought we had something, Youngjae. Something strong, not just some carnal desire that would have disappeared after a fuck”.

“I’m sorry” Youngjae softly repeats.

Jackson huffs at that.

“I hope you’re happy with your decision” he mumbles after. “Please, don’t call me anymore from now on. I don’t want to know how you and your boyfriends are doing. I don’t want to know about you at all”.

Youngjae’s heart finally breaks at that; more when Jackson turns around ready to leave without sparing a glance towards him. He’s losing Jackson. He’s losing a person he truly loves and he doesn’t know how to stop it.

“I never meant to hurt you, Jackson” Youngjae says in a last attempt to save their relationship.

“Save it” Jackson answers coldly without turning around.

“I do love you, Jackson!” Youngjae shouts desperately, hoping it will make Jackson stay.

Jackson’s heart stops beating for a moment. He would be lying if he said he felt nothing when Youngjae yelled that he loves him; but right now he’s too hurt to care.

But he still turns around and stares at Youngjae right in the eyes.

“If you really loved me, you would have chosen me”.

And with that, Jackson finally leaves.

 

Youngjae stares at Jackson’s figure leaving, and keeps watching even when he’s gone. The rain is pouring hard right now and so are Youngjae’s tears.

He broke Jackson’s heart but how come he feels as if he was the one with the broken heart?

He feels empty, as if an important part of him had left with Jackson. And that’s actually what happened: Jackson was an important part of his life and he managed to ruin it and make him leave.

At this moment Jaebum’s words linger in his mind.

_You can’t save everyone from getting hurt, Youngjae_.

He wonders if it was worth it: the pain, the tears… breaking Jackson’s heart in exchange of having Changkyun and Kihyun.

And Jaebum…

Does he even deserve any of them? He doesn’t feel that special. He’s just hurting all of them with his actions.

He’s so absorbed in his own thoughts that he doesn’t hear the opening of a door behind him or the rushed steps towards him.

He only feels warmth when two strong arms embrace him from behind and pull him inside, closing the door after so the cold and the rain are left outside.

He turns around then, finding Yugyeom’s concerned eyes staring at him. Youngjae just grips Yugyeom’s shirt strongly and buries his face in the younger’s chest, starting to cry again right after.

Yugyeom holds him tightly against his body, one hand firmly placed on Youngjae’s back to keep him steady and the other one in Youngjae’s hair, caressing it delicately.

“It’s okay” Yugyeom whispers, trying to calm the sobbing boy in his arms, “everything is going to be okay”.

Youngjae just keeps crying, pouring all his sorrow on Yugyeom’s body, who allows him willingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crying*  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~! As I promised, the next chapter is here! This was so hard to write... it's so sad :(  
> How do you think Youngjae is going to be after this? And the four suitors? And what is going to happen when Jinyoung finds out?  
> P.S: Yugyeom is the best. He's my fav character now <3  
> Have a nice day my lovely people :)


	22. How to get Jackson back

It still rains when Youngjae finally stops crying. He’s now seated on the couch, snuggled between Yugyeom’s arms, the only place that makes him feel safe right now.

Yugyeom is still caressing his hair while humming softly a song. They continue like that in complete silence for a few minutes more before Yugyeom finishes the song and Youngjae decides it’s time to talk then.

“Thank you” Youngjae mumbles, face pressed against Yugyeom’s chest. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if you weren’t here”.

“Hey, c’mon, don’t be like that” Yugyeom says, grabbing Youngjae by the arms separating him from his body to stare right into his eyes. “I know things are rough right now, but please don’t speak like that. I can’t handle my sunshine talking so depressingly”.

Youngjae sniffs and then smiles a bit at him.

“Why do you all call me sunshine?” Youngjae asks. “I don’t really feel like one”.

“You’re only saying that because of what happened, but you’re a real sunshine, Youngjae. You might see everything dark now, but you’re the brightest person I’ve ever met”.

Youngjae then diverts his gaze towards the ground and bites his lip.

“I can’t believe I did that to Jackson” he mutters. “He seemed so different. So angry. So sad. So… broken”.

“I heard” Yugyeom says, “I’m sorry you had to see that. It wasn’t nice”.

“But that’s what I deserve, Yugy. I’m such a bad person…Jackson has always been nice to me and I… I pay him back like this. God, I hate myself so much right now…”

“Hey!” Yugyeom yells, holding Youngjae more tightly. “You shouldn’t hate yourself, Youngjae. I know it sucks that you made a decision and didn’t chose him, but he has to accept that it was your decision. He can’t be demanding things from you just because he was nice to you. He knew you liked more people aside from him. He shouldn’t have taken for granted that you would choose him”.

“But still-“

“Youngjae, if he truly loves you he’ll come back, okay? You’re too precious to let go”.

There’s a moment of silence before Youngjae speaks again.

“I appreciate your words, Yugyeom” Youngjae mumbles, smiling a bit for Yugyeom, “but I still feel like shit right now”.

“Well, it’s okay to feel like shit” Yugyeom says with a shrug of his shoulders. “You don’t have to be happy all the time. And I’ll be here for you whenever you need me regardless of what you’re feeling like”.

“Thank you, Yugyeom” Youngjae says, smiling sadly. “And I’m sorry if you expected more from me… I guess I can’t be everyone’s boyfriend”.

“Ah, don’t worry about that” Yugyeom says, also grinning back at Youngjae. “I can’t deny that I have some interest in you… but four guys as competition… it’s too much for me”.

Youngjae giggles at that and Yugyeom’s smile widens, glad that he was able to make Youngjae a bit happy despite everything.

“But I’m still available if you want some kind of… relief, you know?” Yugyeom adds seductively, and then winks. “You can come to me. I’m always ready”.

“I’m taking your words seriously” Youngjae non-threateningly warns.

“Please do” Yugyeom answers with a smirk.

Youngjae laughs at that, and two seconds after the doorbell rings.

Youngjae and Yugyeom stare at each other, wondering if it could be Jackson again. Yugyeom gets ahead of Youngjae and goes to open the door.

“Oh, it’s just you” Yugyeom says after seeing who their visitor is.

“Such an enthusiastic greeting” Jinyoung says, rolling his eyes.

Yugyeom allows him to come inside and then closes the door behind him. Jinyoung closes his umbrella and leaves it in the umbrella stand by the door.

“I’ll leave you two alone” Yugyeom says, grinning at Youngjae before disappearing inside his room.

Jinyoung then takes off his jacket and places it neatly on a chair before rushing to his best friend’s side.

“Youngjae” Jinyoung softly calls.

Youngjae avoids his gaze, opting to stare at the ground. Jinyoung pouts a bit.

“Youngjae, please look at me”.

Youngjae refuses to obey again, so Jinyoung places his hand delicately under Youngjae’s chin and forces him stare at him.

Jinyoung’s heart breaks upon seeing Youngjae’s puffy eyes. It’s so obvious that he has been crying, and he wasn’t here for him. Just for this time he’s going to thank Yugyeom’s existence.

“I’m sorry, Youngjae” Jinyoung says, pulling Youngjae into a tight hug. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you needed me the most”.

Youngjae then melts on his arms and hugs him back, rubbing Jinyoung’s back reassuringly.

“You are now” he mumbles. “Everything’s okay”.

“Still, I’m sorry” Jinyoung then breaks the hug and cups Youngjae’s face with both hands. “I wish I could take this pain away from you. I hate seeing you suffer”.

Seeing Jinyoung’s sincere concern, Youngjae’s eyes start tearing up again.

“I’m the one who’s sorry, Jinyoung” he says trying to contain his tears. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Kihyun and Changkyun. I didn’t want to bother you with my problems”.

“You’re never a bother, Youngjae. I’m more than happy to listen to your concerns and troubles”.

“But you have Mark now… I don’t want to monopolize you. It’ll be selfish of me to do so. I know you care a lot about me but I don’t want to jeopardize your relationship with Mark”.

“I have time for both of you, don’t worry. But you’re my best friend; you’re always first for me. If you need me I leave anything to attend to you. And I’m not saying that you have to tell me everything that happens in your life, but I would have appreciated it if you had told me before it reached Jackson”.

Youngjae’s heart clenches at that. Jinyoung feels Youngjae shivering and is quick to rub his hands against Youngjae’s shoulders for comfort.

“You couldn’t have done anything about it, Jinyoung” Youngjae mutters. “It’s my entire fault”.

“No, it’s not. Maybe you feel like it, but it’s not. Life is hard, my baby Jae. We can’t have everything we want, so please don’t torture yourself like this. You’re making me sad”.

“You know, you just sounded like Yugyeom earlier”.

Jinyoung furrows his eyebrows at that.

“That’s the worst thing you’ve ever said to me and you should feel bad about it”.

Youngjae chuckles. Jinyoung smiles at him before reaching to caress his cheek again.

“You deserve some punishment for that, but not right now” Jinyoung mumbles. “You’re a cry baby now so mommy Jinyoung will take good care of you, okay?”

“That already sounds like a punishment” Youngjae says with a giggle.

“Shush! I’m going to take good care of you tonight, okay?” Jinyoung says also smiling. “Why don’t we start with a delicious dinner, hum? My treat”.

Youngjae smiles widely at that.

 

A while later Youngjae is full and asleep on Jinyoung’s arms. He took good care of his “baby” the whole time, feeding him and giving him random hugs and caresses from time to time until it was time to sleep.

Youngjae clung to him like a koala after dinner, so he had no choice but to stay with him through the night. Jinyoung practically dragged him to bed and tucked him in, immediately joining him after. He set everything comfortably for Youngjae, who instead chose to snuggle close to Jinyoung and hug him as if he would disappear the morning after.

Jinyoung smiles. He’s happy that Youngjae managed to forget about his problems for the night. He doesn’t know how he’s going to solve this but he’s going to stick to Youngjae’s side until everything’s clear.

He hears his phone vibrating on the bedside table and carefully reaches for him, making sure he doesn’t wake up Youngjae. He opens the new unread text and grins even wider. Mark has just sent him a selfie on his bed, smiling beautifully with the words _I hope Youngjae feels better tomorrow, you’re a great best friend! Good night love_ ~ under it.

Mark has been very understanding of Youngjae’s situation. He always asks about Youngjae’s condition but without digging too much in it, and he even encourages Jinyoung to try talking more to him about his feelings. Today he had to cancel his date with Mark to attend Youngjae and Mark was even rushing Jinyoung to go see Youngjae and inform him after.

Jinyoung texts back a reply with just one hand and then he abandons his phone again at the bedside table. He then takes a moment to appreciate Youngjae’s cuteness while he sleeps before starting to play with his hair.

He wonders how he can be so lucky to have an amazing boyfriend and the most beautiful person in the world as his best friend.

 

The morning after, Jinyoung makes breakfast for Youngjae and makes sure he smiles a bit before sending him off to college. He even saves some for Yugyeom as a thank you for being there for Youngjae.

As he drives to work, he wonders if he should call Jackson. He’s also his friend after all and cares about him, but he isn’t sure Jackson will accept his call. He’ll probably think Jinyoung is going to ask about Youngjae and refuse to talk.

He also doesn’t know how to approach the situation. This conflict is between Youngjae and Jackson, and it’s up to them how to solve it; but in the meantime Jinyoung would like to do something for them, even if it’s little.

The problem is he doesn’t know what.

 

As usual, Kihyun welcomes Youngjae with a smile, and Youngjae offers him one of his own before walking side by side towards their classroom. The walk is short but in that little spawn of time Kihyun already notices something off with Youngjae.

He shines but not as much as he usually does.

But when Kihyun asks about it, Youngjae replies that everything is fine.

Kihyun knows he’s lying and has an idea of what happened, but what can he do aside from being by his side?

 

Youngjae walks home alone today. He lied to Changkyun and Kihyun saying that he’s busy today but he isn’t just in the mood to do anything. He only wants to go home and hide under a blanket and cry.

In his way home he stops by Jackson’s house. He wonders if it’s too soon for Jackson to forgive him, but he still rings the bell nevertheless.

No one answers, so after a while Youngjae walks away with an aching heart.

 

The next day he tries texting him, but his messages remain seen and unanswered. He also tries telephoning him, but his calls are all declined.

Jinyoung joins him again today, and even though he appreciates the company it makes him feel bad for keeping Jinyoung away from Mark.

 

On Thursday he agrees to have a date with Kihyun and Changkyun. They’re both really sweet and nice to him, and Youngjae enjoys their time together. For the first time in the week, he feels genuinely happy and forgets about his problems with Jackson.

Changkyun and Kihyun are glad they could make Youngjae happy for a while. Kihyun acquainted Changkyun about the situation and together decided that if they can’t help with his problem, the least they can do is be there for him and make him happy.

They walk him home, and after Jinyoung calls and asks if he wants him to drop by. Youngjae declines the offer and snuggles besides Yugyeom on the sofa. The younger embraces him and they watch a movie in silence, not needing anything more than each other’s warmth to spend the night.

 

On Friday Youngjae decides he needs to do something, so he goes to the only person non-involved in this drama for advice.

When classes end, he tells Kihyun he’s going to see a professor and that he’ll call him later, and Kihyun nods, understanding the situation.

Nam Woohyun is a professor that came last year to replace their former singing teacher, Kim Sungkyu, who had to go on a tour across the country. Woohyun and Youngjae became close due to their shared interest in soccer, and he’s a professor both Kihyun and Youngjae respect and admire, so Kihyun thinks paying him a visit will be good for Youngjae.

When he arrives at his destination he knocks on the door and Woohyun, a twenty-seven year old handsome man, opens the door of his dispatch and quickly smiles upon seeing who is waiting for him.

“Ah, Youngjae!” Woohyun exclaims, hugging Youngjae tightly. “It’s been a while since the last time you paid me a visit! I thought you already forgot about me”.

“That isn’t the case, I swear” Youngjae says with a smile, “it’s just I’ve been busy lately”.

“I see” Woohyun says, freeing Youngjae from his embrace and inviting him to come inside, to what Youngjae obeys without protest. “Is your tutor giving you a lot of work?”

“Oh, no. Yoongi is really nice”, Youngjae says as he takes a seat. “He isn’t pressuring us or anything”.

“I see. Must be the other teachers then” Woohyun says, sitting at his desk in front of Youngjae. “How I wish I would be teaching you again this year, but they assigned me another class”.

“We miss you too, teacher-“

“Woohyun. Call me Woohyun when we’re in private, please. We are friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course”.

“Good. So tell me, how have you been? Is everything alright?”

“Uh, well…” Youngjae mumbles, fumbling with the hem of his shirt. “I haven’t been feeling well lately”.

“Isn’t life treating you nicely?” Woohyun asks with furrowed eyebrows. “Who do I have to beat?”

“No- no one” Youngjae answers with his head bowed, “it’s my own fault this is happening”.

Woohyun then stares at them with a sad face.

“Did you do something bad?” he asks.

“Not exactly” Youngjae answers, staring back at Woohyun again. “It’s just… the situation is complicated”.

“I see” Woohyun says, reaching across the desk to give Youngjae a squeeze on the shoulder. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but you know I’m always here for you”.

“Thank you” Youngjae mumbles, offering Woohyun his best smile. “I could use some advice right now”.

“Advice? About what?”

Youngjae sighs before answering.

“I’m keeping a lot of feelings inside me. I don’t want to worry my friends so I pretend that I am fine, but all those feelings are overwhelming me, and I don’t know what to do with them aside from crying”.

“Well, crying is a way to get rid of them” Woohyun says seriously. “I’m not saying I want you to cry, I just don’t want you to feel bad about it. If you feel like crying then cry and let it all out. But an option I highly recommend is to translate those feelings into words. Why don’t you try composing something? Whenever I feel stressed or lonely I write some lyrics and it makes me feel better”.

“I didn’t think about that” Youngjae says, “but it sounds good”.

“I can lend you the piano classroom for a while if you want. I remember you playing the piano beautifully. It could be helpful”.

“Can you really do that? I mean, I don’t want to get you in trouble for letting me use the piano classroom”.

“Don’t worry about it” Woohyun says with a smile, already handing the key to Youngjae. “Almost everyone went home already, so there shouldn’t be any problem”.

“Thank you, Woohyun” Youngjae says, getting up from his seat. “I owe you”.

“Don’t be silly. Just be happy, okay? I have to go now but you can leave the key on my desk and I’ll collect it when I come back”.

“Okay, I’ll give it a try. Do you have any more recommendations in case I can’t compose anything?”

“Mmm… how about writing a letter? It doesn’t need to have a receiver; you can write it for yourself and burn it after or whatever. And you know you can always call me to play some soccer, but you don’t need to be depressed or anything to do so”.

“I’ll consider it. I’ll go now, thank you so much again”.

“Anytime” Woohyun says with a smile before Youngjae disappears by the door.

 

Twenty-five minutes have passed and Youngjae still isn’t able to compose anything. He’s just sitting there, in front of the piano, just playing random notes but unable to write some lyrics to go with them.

He finally writes a line, but after reading it he thinks it doesn’t fully describe his feelings, so with a groan he rumples it and throws it to the bin. Then he places his hands on the piano keys with more strength than intended.

“Woah, what did the poor piano do to you?”

Youngjae turns around and finds Jaebum leaning against the door frame with a playful smile on his face.

“Sorry”, Youngjae mumbles, staring again at the piano keys. Jaebum then takes a seat besides Youngjae. “I was trying to compose something but nothing came to me so I was frustrated and hit the piano. It wasn’t my intention”.

“Hey, take it easy” Jaebum says, still smiling at him. “I wasn’t lecturing you. Are you okay?”

Youngjae sighs.

“Nothing is going okay”.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Youngjae looks at him, and they held stares for a moment until Youngjae starts talking.

“The decision I took… it hurt someone very special to me. I took him from granted but when he found out he threw me away from his life and told me to never contact him again. But I miss him. And I still love him, but he doesn’t want to talk to me”.

“Well, isn’t he being dramatic” Jaebum says, trying to downplay the issue. “I mean, I get that he’s upset because I also was, but I never thought of leaving your side. You made a decision, and even if we don’t like it we have to respect that because it’s your life and you’re the only owner of it, understood?”

Youngjae smiles sadly to him.

“I really appreciate your efforts to make me feel better, Jaebum. But I would like to be alone for a while, if you don’t mind”.

Jaebum nods with a smile.

“Of course” he says while he gets up. “I understand, but if you want to talk about it later I’ll be there for you, okay?”

“Thanks” Youngjae mumbles with a small smile, “and I’m sorry. I just…”

“I get it, don’t worry”.

Jaebum is almost out of the room when he stops and turns around again.

“This guy…” he mumbles.

“Jackson” Youngjae answers, focused again on the piano.

“Jackson” Jaebum repeats, “if he doesn’t come back to you then it’s his loss”.

With that Jaebum leaves.

Youngjae stares at the piano keys, reflecting about Jaebum’s words and everything in general, and after a while he stands up from the piano, grabs pen and paper and starts writing.

 

“Pick up the phone, you moron”.

Yugyeom waits, only hearing the beeps coming out from the phone before a voice tells him that the number he’s trying to reach is unavailable at the moment.

He then roars and throws the phone to his bed, and then he drops his body by its side.

“I just want to talk, Jackson” Yugyeom mumbles to himself. “We’re friends, and I haven’t heard of you since the other day”.

He glances at his phone, but it’s as quiet as the room.

“He won’t open the door if I go visit him” Yugyeom continues. “Should I go straight to his workplace? But won’t it be a bit violent? What if he’s still mad and snaps at me in front of everybody?”

He sighs.

“Why is everything so fucking complicated?”

 

“From what I see, he’s only hurting you” Mark says with crossed arms.

“Okay, let’s talk about something else” Jaebum says then, done with the talk about Youngjae. “Have you any plans for this weekend?”

“Uh, I don’t know” Mark answers a bit more relaxed. “Jinyoung is feeling a bit down lately. His best friend is going through something big right now, the poor thing. I think he broke up with his boyfriend, but I can’t know for sure since Jinyoung doesn’t talk a lot about it”.

“Then why don’t you take him out? It could be good for him to free his mind from his best friend’s problems. It could help you too”.

“Why can’t you just date someone like Jinyoung’s best friend? You’re really good boyfriend material and so is he, why can’t you find someone sweet instead of someone who only makes you suffer?”

“I thought we were done with this issue?”

Mark sighs.

“I just want you to be happy. I’m with Jinyoung now, and Hyunwoo has a boyfriend too”.

“So what, are you afraid I am going to die alone or something?”

“Exactly. I’m afraid you’re going to die alone and your cats are going to eat your body because we won’t know you’re dead”.

“Geez, thank you”.

Jaebum takes a sip from his coffee, and Mark is about to do the same when a cat jumps on the table.

“Seriously, Jaebum” Mark says, sipping from his mug unamused, “stop adopting cats”.

 

Youngjae stands in front of Jackson’s door. It’s a bit cold outside but he won’t stay there long. He finally decided to translate his feelings into words and put them all in one letter. He holds the envelope as if it was his own life, and bends down carefully to place it under the door, pushing it a bit so it’ll end inside Jackson’s house. That envelope is important to him, so he has to make sure Jackson at least sees he tried.

If only Youngjae knew, that Jackson is right there, watching everything happen in front of his eyes like he has been doing the entire week. He sees Youngjae leaving through the curtains of the window of his living room again. Every time Youngjae came to his house and knocked at the door, he felt tempted to open. He misses Youngjae, badly. But he isn’t ready to open the door and forget what happened that easily, not when his heart still bleeds for him.

With hurried steps Jackson approaches the door and picks up the envelope, sitting on the floor with his back resting against the door, holding the letter in his hands. He thinks he shouldn’t open it, because it will most likely make him go back to Youngjae; but Jackson still wants to go back to Youngjae, so he opens it nevertheless.

_Dear Jackson:_

_There’s a chance you won’t read this letter, but if you are, I just want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you. The only reason I didn’t tell you I was going out with Kihyun and Changkyun was because it’s nothing serious, I was just testing the waters. I wasn’t planning on telling anyone until I made sure it could work. I should have told you, but I took you for granted, and that was my mistake. I should have explained the situation to you. Maybe you would have gotten mad nevertheless, but at least you would have heard from me. Maybe we could have talked things instead of yelling at each other. Maybe we could have found a solution. We will never know because I handled everything the wrong way._

_I just want you to know that if you don’t want to come back to my life, I understand it. I just wanted a chance to properly explain and apologize._

_Maybe this is selfish of me to say, but I miss you. I miss you so much. You’re really important for me, Jacks. I wasn’t joking when I said I love you, I really do._

_And again, I’m sorry._

_Youngjae._

“Of course that’s selfish of you to say” Jackson mumbles between tears, setting aside the letter so it won’t get ruined. “Because it only makes me miss you more”.

 

For the rest of the day Youngjae is missing from the world. Jinyoung called him earlier and the only thing he got from him was that he was tired and wanted nothing but sleep; and Jinyoung couldn’t do anything about it.

So now he can’t stop wondering if Youngjae’s okay. More than tired, he sounded sad. Jinyoung thought he was doing better the past days, but he seems to have returned to the Youngjae who got yelled under the rain by the person he loves. And it doesn’t help that Jackson isn’t answering his texts and seems to have vanished from the world.

Everything is chaos, and chaos is a situation Jinyoung doesn’t know how to handle.

Suddenly warmth embraces his body. He turns around and finds Mark’s face close to his, hugging him from behind while smiling affectionately. He smiles back, and allows himself to melt against Mark’s body.

At least in this chaos he still has Mark to keep him steady.

 

When Youngjae comes back home, dinner is already served and Yugyeom welcomes him with a warm smile. They eat, they talk about trivial things, and they get some ice cream and watch a movie before going to sleep.

It’s then when Youngjae tugs at Yugyeom’s sleeve and asks if he can sleep with him tonight, and before he can hear Yugyeom’s answer he’s already being tucked inside his bed and has become the little spoon.

 

“ACHOOO!”

Jinyoung’s loud sneeze startles Mark, who was comfortably cuddling against him.

“Jinyoung, are you okay?” he worriedly asks.

“I’ve felt a disturbance in the Force” Jinyoung answers seriously.

Mark stares at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, sure. I think you should sleep, you may be catching a cold”.

Jinyoung doesn’t protest. He allows Mark to drag him to bed and both of them lay there, Mark falling asleep besides him within seconds.

But Jinyoung doesn’t sleep right away. It’s not the first time it happens and he’s sure it has to do with Youngjae and Yugyeom; but maybe right now that’s a good sign.

 

It’s Saturday, and Saturdays are for Jaebum to rest and spend time with his friends or cats, since said friends are not available recently.

But today he went out. Alone. For a reason.

It took him half day to find who Jackson is and how to contact him, but thanks to his stalker skills he found the place he works at. He shouldn’t be proud of it but he is.

And his plan? To corner him and force him to listen to what he has to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm sorry :c  
> Annyeong Chingudeuls~~! How's life treating y'all? It hasn't been nice to me recently, that's why I haven't updated in a while. BUT I'm okay now, so I'll try (like REALLY try, not like the other 12892832 times I said that) updating more frequently. We're halfway there, but there's still a lot coming though :P  
> What's Jaebum going to tell Jackson? Will it end well or not? And Woohyun... is he going to be another love interest for Youngjae or just another shoulder to rely on for him when times are rough?  
> Thank you for your support and your patience! You guys inspire me :)  
> Have a nice day my lovely readers <3


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